


Kill Him With Kindness

by Sinsational_Sinnabon



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Dubious Consent, Dubious Morality, Ecto-Genetalia when it gets to that. Someday., Eventual Smut, F/M, Lots of subjects that deal with a grey morality system, Mildly Dubious Consent, Minor Character Death, PTSD, Past Abuse, Slavery, Slow Burn, Surface Living, UT Universe, Violence, casual sexual relationships, humans are slaves, let me know if you need me to add tags, semi-mute reader
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-28
Updated: 2017-03-24
Packaged: 2018-07-27 06:07:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 30
Words: 74,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7606639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sinsational_Sinnabon/pseuds/Sinsational_Sinnabon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Using Frisks Soul, Asgore manages to bring down the Barrier, in the process absorbing the souls and becoming a being of unfathomable power. Using a monster army and his newfound strength, he takes over a town at the base of the mountain. </p><p>Monsters become the reigning power, and a human slave trade blossoms in "Overground" (so named by Asgore). Monsters own humans as butlers, pets, and entertainment.</p><p>Sans never thought he would personally own a human slave, but after a chance encounter, he has to face his worst fear - living with the same creature as the one that haunts his worst nightmares.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Run Run Run As Fast As You Can

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! Long time no see! I graduated college and now have enough time to once again write the Undertale fics I enjoy.
> 
> I still want to do a sequel for my other fic "A Done Deal", but this one has been brewing in my mind for a few months now. I intend to do a Sans/Reader fic with each soul type, and this is the second in the set. 
> 
> This one is set in an alternate version of the Undertale universe, where Frisk dies and Asgore uses the human souls to break the barrier and attack the surface. 
> 
> Without further adeu, chapter 1! I will try to reign myself in and ya know, actually have a posting schedule instead of finishing a 15 chapter fic in almost as many days.

_Faster!_

 

**_Faster!_ **

 

Your footsteps pounded against the concrete as you tore through the town, ducking into side streets in an attempt to lose your pursuers. It was mid-afternoon, and the hot damp air was sticky and cloying. Heart beating a frantic rhythm against your chest, you stopped to catch your breath beside a rotten dumpster. It was overflowing with trash, and the rancid smell made your stomach lurch. You took shallow breaths, afraid that you would be heard if you weren’t careful

 

Ears straining, you tried to make out any sounds of those still looking for you. Silence. A sigh of relief escaped your lips, the threads of your jacket catching against the brick as you slid to the ground.

 

CLANK!

 

An aluminum can spun away from your foot, kicked accidentally, and you felt your blood freeze. A shadow loomed over you, a large orb making it’s way into your field of vision. Another appeared from around the dumpster, trapping you where you sat. They looked like large, lifeless eyes - immobilizing you with magic or fear - you couldn’t quite tell.

 

“You gave us quite the slip girly~”

 

You yelped at the sudden appearance of your warden, a sly looking monster called Madjick. His wide brimmed hat sat cockily on his pointed head, obscuring his eyes. Aside from the orbs that adhered to his will, you weren’t sure he had any. As you looked up at the man who had kept you prisoner for the past few months, a feeling of dread filled you. Whatever was going to happen to you next, it couldn’t be good.

 

 

* * *

 

 

It had been about two years since monsters had broken the barrier and reached the surface. With the soul of the final child, it had disintegrated at Asgore’s touch - warped and glowing as his body re-conformed to the newfound power of the human souls. He towered over the monsters gathered in the hall to watch the big event, a seething crowd that erupted with activity as soon as the path to the surface was unveiled. With no idea of what humanity held for them, they went on the offensive, planning to take their rightful place on the surface and end the war that the humans had started long ago.

 

The giant Asgore led the charge, a pack of monsters like rats around his feet. They swarmed into the nearest town, built at the base of the mountain. It was an unprecedented attack, and the humans had long written off the existence of Monsters as myths and legends.

 

With surprise on the monster's side, it was hardly a battle. The humans had no chance fighting back. Within hours - it was over. Whoever resisted was killed. No one was to be trusted. The compliant were imprisoned, until a more suitable use for them was found.

 

Soft at heart, but hardened by years of living underground, their leader couldn’t bare to eliminate the remaining humans. He chose to turn a blind eye as an underground slave trade grew - humans being sold as servants, exotic pets, and entertainment. After “learning” of what the town had established, he set basic ground rules. They would ensure the basic safety of the humans, but allowed for slimy operations to fester inside of the private dwellings of owners.

 

At the base were the five commandments of human ownership, listed as follows.

 

1\. All human slaves must be under watch of their owners at all times, unless special permission is given directly by the king

2\. Humans must be marked as belongings as all times and checked monthly by the town doctor, with proper identification so that their owners are readily identified.

3\. Humans are not to be out after 7pm. After 7pm the town is strictly monster only, and slaves must remain at home.

4\. Underage Humans or Humans without an owner were to be kept in special contaiment centers under watch of monster wardens.

5\. Under no circumstances whatsoever should a monster befriend or fraternize with a human.

 

Breaking the rules had dire consequences, including, but not limited to: loss of your servant, imprisonment, and in extreme cases - death.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Which brings us back to your predicament. Madjick had yanked you to your feet, his ribbon grip rough against your wrist. You shivered at his cold touch, recoiling as unpleasant memories flashed through your mind. He scowled and tightened his grip, pulling you toward the main street. Anguished cries and jeering shouts echoed through the narrow opening, evidence of a big crowd nearby. As you were led into the light, you could finally see the cause of the ruckus - there was a large auction happening in the center of town.

 

And not just any auction. It was the weekly slave auction, where Humans coming of age and any unclaimed Human would be auctioned off to the highest bidder. While this practice wasn’t entirely legal, it was one that the king took a blind eye to. There was a raised stage in the center of the square, and it was here that a line of humans stood, shackled and subdued, waiting to be carted off by new owners.

 

It was fucked up. While you were told that most slaves simply did housework, you had also heard horror stories from slaves who returned to the warden. Slaves who were purchased for sexual entertainment; an exotic luxury for rich monsters wanting a good time.

 

You.

 

You were lucky. The warden had written you off as damaged product, and although you were of age, he didn’t bother to put you on the bidding table. You see, when the monsters came up from the underground, your house was one of the first hit - on the edge of the town. Your parents had been some of the few to fight back, and had provided you just enough time to escape the house unnoticed by the siege. You had been captured later, of course. For days you had wandered the town alone, unnoticed in the chaos that was the battle. But desperate for a bite, you had been captured breaking into one of the deserted stores and brought to Madjick and his residence. They had tried to fix you. They used every healing method they knew, and other more threatening methods once the first failed.

 

But even since that day, the day that monsters attacked - you hadn’t spoken a single word.


	2. This Little Skelly Went To Market

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok one more chapter for tonight. Just to get this started off right. I'm honestly terrible at keeping to an update schedule, as I want to upload chapters as I finish them.
> 
> Enjoy!

You fully expected Madjick to pull you past the raucous horde, back to the ward with the rest of your housemates. So when you kept walking towards the crowd you started to worry. Today hadn’t been the first time you tried to escape, but your attempts always ended the same - with someone finding you and returning you. You were always punished, but never severely enough to stop trying.

 

Today was the final straw. The two of you approached a mammalian monster, somewhat resembling a shrew. They were filling out papers and overseeing the auction.

 

He wouldn’t.

 

You began to sweat and twist, trying to pull out of his grasp.

 

He _couldn’t!_

 

He said that no one would want you except perhaps someone wanting a bit of quick fun - that you weren’t worth the trouble.

 

The shrew looked up and Madjick chattered at her in an unintelligible murmur, obviously upset. The shrew nodded and wrote something down on their notepad, handing your warden a slip of paper.

 

He was.

 

You were escorted to the end of the line, a burly wolf monster gripping your upper arm. Madjick peeled away and disappeared into the crowd, quickly swallowed up by the masses. You were left alone with the rest of the humans and the wolf monster, who was obviously in charge of looking after you while each was auctioned off on stage. You could see a similar wolf monster calling out prices as a blonde haired male was bought for 500G. An older slime approached to collect her prize, handing over a handful of gold and leading the human away.

 

The line quickly shrank as each human was sold. 200G. 300G. 600G for an especially burly adult male, sold to a blacksmith reptilian. It wasn’t long before a strong furry hand was pressing against your back, urging you up the short steps to the stage. You balked.

 

You turned back to the monster with fear in your eyes, met only with a stoic scowl. There was no choice now. Shaking slightly, you climbed onto the raised platform. You looked downward at the crowd of cheering monsters, the faint jingling of gold audible above the din. The auction wolf cleared his throat and described the product for sale.

 

“Ahem. Here we have an adult human female, still fairly young. Her warden wants to note that this human is mute, and cannot talk - therefore the auction will begin at a lower price than normal. I’m sure she can still do basic housework!”

 

He advertised you to the crowd like a salesman trying to sell clearanced merchandise. You wrung your hands nervously as the crowd murmured.

 

“Who will give me 10G?”

 

With a price that low, you probably could’ve gotten a buyer no matter what was wrong with you. A reedy voice called out to take the bid, and it began. Hands shot up across the crowd, incrementally raising the price from 10G, to 30G, to 50G, and finally 100G. It paused there.

 

The monster that had made the last bid looked disgusting. He was big and sweaty, with green fur that plastered to his skin and yellowed fangs that peeked out of a drooling maw. When you caught his eye, he grinned and licked his lips hungrily.

 

Your eyes widened in panic and you scoured the crowd, desperate for someone, anyone else to claim you. But nobody came.

 

“Alright! 100G going once!”

A pause.

 

“Going twice!?”

 

The buyer’s grin grew, sure of his win.

 

“Ann-”

 

A low voice cut through the crowd, interrupting the auctioneer.

 

“* i’ll give you 5,000g.”

 

You could hear a pin drop as the monstered stilled, turning to try and get a look at who was crazy enough to buy a human - a defective one at that - for so much gold. The crowd parted to reveal a short, humanoid figure, comparatively to the monsters around him. While still mostly obscured, you could see that he was wearing a blue hoodie, hands shoved deep in his pockets. A low murmur rose as the auction master regained his senses.

 

“A-anyone else want to contest this bid?” He looked at the green monster, whose muzzle was drawn up in a snarl at the newcomers direction. There were no other bids.

 

The monster who placed the winning bid seemed to be well-known; the crowd parting to allow him passage to the front. You were still apprehensive, but compared to that gross monster who was going to win, you couldn’t help but feel relieved as well. Once the surprise had faded, the auction continued as if nothing had happened, another human taking your place on the stand as you were led off the opposite side.

 

The guard wolf sniffed haughtily as he saw your buyer approach the stand and begin to fill out some paperwork. “This guy must either be stupid, or must really want you. You’d better behave.”

 

As he finished and ambled up, you finally got a good view of the guy. Although he had seemed small, he still was taller than you by at least a few inches. Most surprising, however, were his features - or more accurately - the lack thereof. The guy was literally a skeleton. And you didn’t mean in the scrawny way, as he somehow seemed to fill out his hoodie, but in the literal sense. His skull was a brilliant white in the evening light, and his eyes were nothing more than black sockets, a pinprick of white acting as pupils. A permanent grin seemed affixed on his face. He had a laissez-faire attitude about him; you had a hard time believing that this guy was rich enough to blow that much cash on a servant, but in your best interests you kept your mouth shut. With a final signature, you were signed over and handed over to him. He took a skeletal hand out of his pocket and grabbed your wrist loosely, but with enough intention that you knew better than to run. He could still be dangerous.

 

He led you out of the crowd and away from the center of town, heading towards one of the west precincts. You had run this way once, but hadn’t gone far. This side of town was strictly patrolled. Only the famous or well off monsters had the privilege of living here. That almost worried you more. Who the hell were you dealing with?

 

With the risk of the scarier green monster gone, your thoughts started to rationalize just what you were up against. Away from the rest of the auction, the prospect of being alone with the skeleton unnerved you. You knew well that it didn’t take a large monster to do damage - Madjick had been much smaller than this guy and had caused his share of torment. The further you walked, the more anxious you got. Why had he paid so much for you? What were his plans? He hadn’t spoken once you’d both left, for reasons you were unsure of.

 

He abruptly stopped in front of a multi-story brick building, your preoccupied train of thought causing you to awkwardly keep walking and get tugged back by his grip. He finally met your eye, a bemused look on his face. Or was that how it always looked?

 

He seemed to fidget a bit, at a loss of what to say to you. You honestly hadn’t given it much thought to how a first meeting with someone who bought you would go.

 

“* -ut then we can head home.”

 

What? Your head snapped up to look at him. You had been so out of it that you’d entirely glossed over the first part of his sentence. Your confusion must’ve been evident; he started over.

 

“* i said my name is sans. the law requires that you get checked out by a doctor first, but then we can head home.”

 

His tone was a quiet deep monotone, void of much emotion, but it wasn’t threatening.

 

You nodded to show that you heard him, relaxing slightly. He didn’t seem dangerous so far, and was even nice enough to explain things. You guessed it was evident that he was your first owner, and didn’t know about the process. He pressed a small button beside the door, and you could hear a faint buzzing inside.

 

There was a faint scuffling behind the door and after a minute, it opened to reveal a short reptilian monster with bright yellow scales. She wore glasses perched on her nose ridge, and had her nose pressed into a volume of manga. You assumed that she was the doctor, as she was dressed in a white lab coat that brushed against the floor when she moved.

 

“O-oh hello, how c-can I help you today?”

 

She had a nervous stutter when she spoke, and seemed to be engrossed in finishing her chapter before looking up. Sans cleared his throat quietly.

 

“*hey alphys.”

 

That got her attention. The book was placed aside on an unseen table as Alphys turned her attention to the pair of you. She smiled when she saw Sans, but whatever quip she was about to make died in her throat as she saw you. Her eyes widened and ping ponged between the two of you, putting two and two together. What was so weird? You chanced a glance down at yourself - nope, everything normal there, although slightly dirty from your chase.

 

The doctor was still speechless when you looked back up, catching her eye. She ducked away awkwardly and looked back at Sans.

 

“I t-take it that y-you are not here for a f-friendly visit. C-come on in.”


	3. Pussycat, Pussycat Where Have You Been?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess this fics chapters are nursery rhymes. Time for a check up! Thanks for reading!

The two of you were led down a homey foyer and into a living room straight out of a japanese anime. There were action figures and posters everywhere, most featuring one particular character with cat ears. It was familiar to you - you think you must’ve read that one in your high school years. Your host hesitated in front of a cushy red couch, but continued on to a steel door set back into a far wall. 

 

You trailed slightly behind as the two walked side by side, discussing something urgently in hushed tones. Alphys seemed upset about something, and from the way Sans responded, he was apparently the cause. Every so often she would turn back and glance at you - you guessed to make sure you were still following. You finally caught a snippet of conversation, Alphys’ voice raised with exasperation. “Y-you said that you would never in a m-million years Sans! What in Asgore’s name were you thinking?!” 

 

Maybe she heard about the price he’d paid? This seemed to be centered around you after all. They hushed up as your group drew close to the door. And impressive number pad graced the wall beside the opening, and Alphys keyed in a long code. The door whooshed open and you were led into a darkened room, the door sliding shut behind you. 

 

With a blinding flash, the room was illuminated. It was a lab of some sort, decorated with medical tables and test tubes and half built machinery. 

 

“You know b-better than to bring her here Sans. T-this is my personal lab, and i don’t have any restraining equipment if she turns out to be v-violent.”

 

They continued talking as if you weren’t there, and you took the opportunity to look around, being careful not to get too close to the tables adorned with scary looking instruments. It was evident that this woman was extremely smart; the math on some of her notes contained more letters and numbers than your high school SAT. Even the sterile environment couldn’t escape the doctor's penchant for anime - a couple posters were taped up alongside impressive diagrams of complicated inventions. Somehow that made you feel a bit better.

 

“* look at her alph. I doubt she could harm either of us even if she wanted to. i just need the basic check up. this whole situation was… unexpected.”

 

She shot him a glare but motioned you over. You complied, your hands wringing nervously as you stood beside the stern looking monster. Sans lingered, not quite sure of what to do with himself. Alphys pointed at the door. 

 

“A-alright. Out with you! Y-you can’t be in here while I do the p-physical exam.”

 

Sockets widening as he realized what that entailed, he beat a quick retreat, muttering to come get him when he was needed. Once Sans had left the room, Alphys slumped dejectedly, giving you a wary once over. This was the second person who was treating the whole exercise as something out of the norm, and a paranoid part of your mind started wondering if some mistake had been made.

 

“Take your c-clothes off please.”

 

You hesitated for a minute, but reasoned that it was probably similar to the doctors visits that you had when you were younger. You stripped off your dirty clothes until you stood naked in the middle of the room, shivering slightly with cold. 

 

With medical precision, the lizard probed at your body, occasionally grabbing a measuring tape or a notepad and jotting something down. She spent extra time on your throat, looking down your esophagus with a tiny light.

 

“There’s nothing wrong here…” She seemed perplexed.

 

The rest of your condition seemed to please her, and she motioned for you to re-dress after only a couple minutes. As you continued to comply, she seemed to become more at ease.

 

“S-so Sans said that you didn’t really talk, so I can’t exactly ask you much about your condition. Do you hurt anywhere?”

 

You shook your head.

 

“Good, a-at least you understand me. I don’t know what he was thinking, getting a servant. H-he always seemed to hate the idea when I brought up my work.”

 

Now you were very confused. So he didn’t even want a servant to begin with? Or maybe he had changed his mind? Hesitantly, you raised your hands and made a few defined movements. Alphys stopped what she was doing and looked at you, stunned. 

 

“Y-you can speak hands? That makes things m-much easier. A-although I’m not sure where you picked it up. Forgive m-me, I’m very rusty with it.”

 

Grinning, you began to sign in vigor. It had been so long since you had come across anyone who understood the language that one of your kinder wardens had imparted upon you in their free time. You began to ask questions one after another, hands stumbling in your eagerness to get out the words; on what she meant about Sans and if he was safe and why he seemed to be so well known around town. She lifted her hands in an attempt to slow you down.

 

“I-I can’t read that fast- I-I only know the basics. I’m sure Sans can answer most of your questions. He’s very fluent in Hands. I’m going to check your Soul now, alright? It’s going to feel kind of weird, but I promise I mean no harm.”

 

You relented, unsatisfied but somewhat intrigued with the prospect of seeing your soul. You had heard about the fact that all humans had souls, but you had never seen the physical proof. Alphys seated you down on a metal table, her hand hovering in front of your chest. You felt a light tug, and there it was. It was a vibrant kelly green, the surface shimmering like oil in water. The fact that it was exposed made you feel especially vulnerable, your senses on alert. The citrine scales beneath her eyes crinkled slightly as she grinned. “G-green huh? T-that’s a relief.” You were careful not to touch the floating heart as you signed. “What does that mean?” 

 

She seemed to understand enough of your inquiry. “S-soul colors have different traits. Purple is for especially perseverant folk, while orange stands for bravery. Green is Kindness.” You blushed, suddenly aware that souls were a much more personal thing for monsters than you had first realized. It was amazing that they could tell so much just by looking at them. The doctor continued. “Of course, t-that doesn’t guarantee anything, there are good and bad people with every soul color. But kindness is always an encouraging trait.” 

 

For some reason, now that you knew, you felt like this information should be kept private. You signed as much and Alphys seemed to understand - nodding distractedly as she wrote. After an agonizing few minutes, she made a motion with her hands and the glowing heart retreated into your chest. Silence descended on the room as the two of you ran out of things to say, but the doctor had not quite finished her last few tests.

 

“S-so.. do you… like… anime?” 

 

You grinned at the doctor's attempt at conversation, and signed out a clumsy yes. You had read and watched your fair share in school, but hadn’t picked one up in a while. She brightened and began to ramble on about MewMew Kissy Cutie, the one that yes, you had started in high school. You told her as much and she gushed even more. While your answers were short and succinct, you still managed to delve into an intense conversation with Alphys about a couple of your favorite volumes. A hesitant knock on the door cut her off. 

 

“* is everything alright in there? It’s been half an hour.” Sans sounded worried. 

 

“O-oh!” Alphys rushed to the door and opened it, revealing a concerned skeleton, hand still raised half-knock. “W-we were just discussing anime, and you know how I can get a bit c-carried away.” He raised a browbone in confusion, glancing at where you were still sitting on the table. The auctioneer had said you were mute… so?

 

“S-She can speak hands Sans!” Alphys chimed in excitedly. “This is p-perfect for you!”

 

He was speechless. Speaking in hands was an exceedingly rare skill, one only known by a couple of monsters through the years. “* you sure alphys?” He walked over and stood in front of you, his hands poised awkwardly in front of him. With a short breath, he began to sign. He was slow at first - rusty, but soon began to pick up speed. Your eyes focused on his flying fingers, enraptured.

 

~* hands, or more casually known as wing dings, is a very ancient language, known only by a few of our kind. i don’t know how you managed to learn this, but if you can understand what i am saying, nod.~

 

You nodded. Taking it a step further, you raised your own hands and began to sign back.

 

~One of my wardens taught it to me. She said most monsters wouldn’t understand it, but that it might prove useful anyway.~

 

He still looked dubious, but let the explanation slide. He guessed it was possible that one of the monsters that worked there had previously worked for his father.

 

“* what’s your name?”

 

You shook your head. He looked at Alphys questioningly, but she just shrugged. 

 

~* do you just not want Alphys to know?~

 

You shook your head again. He looked slightly frustrated. You weren’t sure why, but you didn’t want to bring your old name into this new situation. It was almost like leaving behind the part of your life that left a bad taste in your mouth. A new name, a new chance right?

 

“* im gonna call her kitten.” Alphys made an indignant sound. 

 

“Y-you can’t just name someone that! Why?”

 

Sans chuckled. “* well. she’s quiet, and small, and this whole thing is a huge  _ cat- _ astrophe, so it fits.” You smiled shyly at the obvious pun. The doctor sighed. He technically owned you, so she really couldn’t say anything. 

 

He seemed to be waiting for some sign of consent, his permanent smile cocked in a amused smirk and his head tilted curiously to the side.. You signed that it was fine by you, causing Sans to laugh and Alphys to throw her hands up and walk out of the room. Kitten it was. It was slightly demeaning, but were you really allowed to disagree? Jumping down from the table, you followed them into the living room. Alphys seemed to be telling Sans about your exam. You caught the tail end of it.

 

“-ake sure she g-gets some food in h-her, but o-otherwise she seems healthy. T-there’s nothing wrong with her v-vocal chords, s-so I’m assuming some sort of traumatic experience.”

 

Sans looks slightly upset at that, but his grin quickly plasters itself on his face again. “* thanks again alphys. i promise to come back later and give you a better explanation, but it’s nearing curfew and i still need to get her labeled.” You didn’t know entirely what that meant, but it sounded unpleasant. With a lurch, you realized that although the atmosphere in the room was relaxed, you were still recently purchased by this strange monster, who you knew nothing about. Besides his name, you didn’t know much else, including his intentions. Grin wiped from your face, you followed him out of the front door and back onto the sidewalk. He took a hold of your wrist again, obviously not trusting you. Good choice - you weren’t sure you could trust yourself either.

 

Once again, you were alone with your captor.


	4. Little Miss Muffet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope my speech styles are easy enough to read for you guys, but if not, here is a guide
> 
> ~Text inside these means that this is signed/spoken in hands~
> 
> *text in all lowercase with an asterisk is Sans
> 
> That's it for now. Everyone else speaks normally haha.
> 
> Enjoy! I love hearing from you guys!

The two of you quickly fell into an awkward silence, the weight of the situation settling over each of you. This man owned you. He paid money for you and now you were supposed to do whatever he asked. You felt sick. Feeling the slight pull on his arm as you lagged behind, he slowed, glancing back at you. You must’ve looked horrible, judging by the way the corners of his grin pulled into a grimace. 

 

You didn’t want to be owned. You didn’t want to be labeled. Glancing down at his skeletal fingers around your wrist, you paled even more. You didn’t want this stranger to touch you! Of it’s own accord, you tugged away, wrapping your arms around yourself protectively. He knew better than to ask what was wrong. His hands twitched stiffly, unsure of what to do with themselves. He finally stuffed them back in his pockets. 

 

“* we’re almost there. don’t run off please. without any ID it’s likely they’ll just take you back to the ward. i don’t want to hurt you...” The end of his unspoken threat lingered uncomfortably in the muggy air.

 

You didn’t trust him, but you had no other choice. 

 

The next place you stopped at looked like it was once a store of some kind, repurposed into a monster clothing boutique. Outfits for monsters of all sorts were displayed in the glass windows, with slots for multiple arms and tails. “Muffet’s Boutique and Bakery” read the sign nailed above the door in swirly letters. You could see the former existing sign beneath it, but it was unreadable. The monsters had taken over several businesses for their own when they took control of the town. You were half sure that you remembered this place as a bookstore at one point, that you visited when you were small. A smaller sign was taped to the glass door, and read “Identification Accessories sold here!”. 

 

As you entered the store, you refused to meet Sans’ eye, instead looking around the store. The walls had been painted a pleasant dark purple, with a silver webbed trim around the top of the room. Wait… no, those were real spiderwebs. A multitude of clothing was hung on circular racks and against the wall. A small pastry counter was off to the side, and at the back was a more professional looking desk adorned, which seemed to be where you were heading. 

 

You knew what this part entailed anyway. You had seen them around town. Slaves. They all had to wear proof of their master on their person. Almost all of the monsters opted for collars, which were easily seen and didn’t get in the way. You were sure they didn’t quite know of the implication behind the accessory, but either way it was slightly humiliating to be collared like a pet.

 

Speaking of which.

 

Sans had finished talking to the monster behind the desk; who you had pretty much ignored until now. You had never been the biggest fan of spiders, and it was only now that you realized that the store was coated in them. Bigger ones altering clothes, and smaller ones putting out stock and doing various small jobs. The one Sans was talking to was more humanoid, although she still had the appropriate amount of limbs for an arachnid. Her many eyes blinked in your direction, as you realized that she had been asking you something.

 

“Are you afraid of spiders dearie?” You were glad it was a simple enough question; the chance of her understanding your preferred language was slim. You hesitated, but shook your head truthfully. She giggled and motioned with one of her arms, and a tickling on your neck made you jolt. You heard annoyed tittering from the group of spiders that had landed there - so that’s why she asked. You tried your best not to make a disgusted face as they measured your neck, their many legs tickling your skin. When they were done, they climbed off you (a relief) and gave Muffet your measurements. 

 

Your skeletal owner seemed rather uncomfortable throughout the whole exchange. When Muffet excused herself to the pastry side of the shop to serve a customer, Sans met your gaze embarrassedly. 

 

“*heh. why don’t you shop around a bit while we wait? pick some things out. they didn’t exactly send you over with much.” You didn’t have the heart to tell him that the outfit you were wearing was your only one. You hated accepting anything from him, but truth be told the offer  _ was _ tempting. Even if you would pay for this in some way later, you figured that at least you’d get some cute clothes out of it.

 

The fabric felt exquisite against your fingers as you browsed through the racks. You glanced up once to check on Sans and saw him waving for your attention. His hands made a short back and forth motion and brushed against his front, ending with his index finger and thumb touching on one hand, the rest of his fingers lazily raised.

 

~* no stripes, ok?~

 

A strange request, but reasonable. Maybe he hated stripes? You nodded and went back to browsing, making sure to bypass anything with stripes on it. Soon you had a nice little pile in your arms; a combination of dresses and shirts and pants and skirts. You spotted a dressing room in the corner. Making sure to get Sans’ attention to point to where you’d be, you went inside with the pile of clothes and closed the curtain behind you.

 

You had to put a couple items back - not noticing extra arm or tail holes, but for the most part, the things you had picked out suited you quite nicely. Everything was made of such nice materials, and hugged your body nicely. You practically had a heart attack at the price tag, but rationalized it as a bit of revenge for being bought like a new car. Reluctant to put your old outfit back on, you lingered in front of the mirror a while longer. Your hair was tangled, and you looked relatively dirty - but for the first time in months you felt normal again - if even for just a moment. You smiled as you put you original outfit back on, folded everything back up and headed out. If you ignored the circumstances… it was kind of nice. 

 

Sans was done by the time you came out of the dressing area, idling by the desk in the back and fiddling with something in his hands. His grin was strained and his eyelights small; shrinking even more when you walked up. Winding around his phalanges was a black leather strap; your collar. You stiffened as he reached out to put it on, his bony fingers warm against your skin as he fumbled ungracefully with the clasp in the back. He refused to meet your gaze as he did this, and pointedly took the clothes from you to go pay as a further excuse not to interact. 

 

Once you were sure he was looking away, you allowed yourself a glance in one of the mirrors to explore your new accessory. It was expertly made, the leather smooth and the inside lined with a softer black material. A shiny silver circle rested on your collarbone, inscribed with a series of numbers. Beneath it was Sans’ name - just the first, no last. The band was studded with small light blue stones, a type you had never seen before aboveground. They looked vaguely like moonstones, but closer to cyan. 

 

“* it’s a special kind of stone that grew underground in waterfall.”

 

You spun around, embarrassed that he caught you looking. He was carrying a couple bags emblazoned with Muffet’s logo - your clothes. You extended your arms in an offer to take them, and he handed them over almost thankfully. His hands immediately disappeared back into his deep pockets. You wondered if it was a comfort thing.

 

Taking your silence as unwelcoming, he coughed. You weren’t entirely sure  _ how,  _ seeing as he didn’t have a throat… or lungs, but you wrote it off as more monster weirdness.

 

“* look. i don’t particularly like the collar thing either, but it’s the law around here. i thought it might make it a little more bearable if you could view it like… i dunno, a fashion thing?”

 

This was definitely not what you were expecting from a slave owner. He acted like this whole experience was just as unpleasant for him as it was for you. You finally pinpointed the look in his eyes that had bothered you all day. It was - apologetic. 

 

You could’ve answered him; he understood your signs, but you were exhausted from the whiplash of today’s events, and frankly still a bit jaded. You didn’t want to feel sorry from him; it was much easier to compartmentalize and be angry at him for everything that had befallen you recently. It could still all just be some sort of trick. So instead you found a very interesting spot on the tile and tried not to dwell on how much money all this must have cost him. 

 

With a small sigh, he turned to go. Now that you were labeled, there was no use in running. You would just be returned to him as soon as you were caught. 

 

Shifting your bags in your arms, you followed.


	5. Three, Four, A Knock At The Door

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who needs a buffer anyway. Man this one is gonna be so much longer than A Done Deal. Whoops!
> 
> Key  
> ~Words in these squigglies are signed~
> 
> * lowercase text with asterisk is sans.
> 
> Their house is this one, if anyone wants a visual -> https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/15/c5/08/15c50826e05a89441b3932e47416d66f.jpg

The skeletons’ house was a lot smaller than you expected. Although it was two stories, it looked rather… unimpressive beside the bigger, more ornate houses that flanked it. Most of the lower half was coated in slate blocks, and the whole thing was traditional in build. Two columns framed the small porch and the bright red door that marked the entrance. One thing that immediately set it apart from the other houses in the area were the very large windows set into both stories. They looked new in comparison to the rest of the house, as if they were installed recently.

 

The afternoon sun was quickly fading, and with the curfew approaching, Sans wasted no time in digging a key out of his shorts pockets and unlocking the door. He ushered you inside the main hallway, where you could hear pots and pans clattering from the kitchen. Did he not live alone? The smells that filled the house were actually pretty tantalizing, and you started salivating at the prospect of good food. You pushed those feelings down - you shouldn’t get your hopes up that they would share any. The wardens ate well, but the humans were always given stale offerings that no one else had wanted.

 

The sounds in the kitchen stopped and another skeleton spryly bounced into the hallway. He was taller than Sans, and much lankier. An air of confidence oozed from his person, and you could swear the red scarf he had on fluttered dramatically even with a lack of breeze. The rest of his outfit was… interesting. The bottom few ribs were exposed, the top sets covered with a bright yellow crop top that said “Cool Dude”. The word “cool” was drawn in with what looked like sharpie. His long legs fit badly inside of a pair of black skinny jeans, held up around his pelvis with a bright pink belt. 

 

“* hey bro.”

 

So this was his brother? Made sense. The family resemblance was certainly there. You let out a quiet “snrk” at your inside joke. Papyrus was in the middle of describing his day and fell eerily silent.

 

The tension in the air was unbearable.

 

“Sans… what is that behind your back?” There was a strange look in Papyrus sockets (lacking any lights, unlike his brothers’). Uneasily, Sans stepped aside to reveal you to the taller skeleton. His jaw dropped.

 

“Is that… Is that a human?”

 

You picked a long thread from your sleeve like it was the most engaging thing in the world.

 

“* paps i swear i can expl-” He was cut off as his brother raised a hand, sockets narrowed. The cheery skeleton had gone from peppy to somewhat terrifying in three seconds flat.

 

“Can I speak to you  _ alone _ ? Now?” You didn’t think someone made of bone could pale, but you swore Sans’ skull blanched a few shades. 

 

He turned to you and the lights in his eyes were small and dim. You waited for him to speak but he instead began to sign, hands shaking imperceptibly.

 

~* c-can you please give us a few minutes? i’m sorry. you can take a shower if you’d like, or the guest room is the third door to the right upstairs.~

 

You could hear a skeletal foot tapping impatiently. A shower sounded great. Hell, being back at the ward would be better than spending a second longer in this sibling stand-off. Assuming the bathroom was the door underneath the stairs, you speed walked past the taller brother - who flinched - and swiftly shut yourself in the small bathroom. You immediately heard a shouting match, mostly one sided, startup outside; but the thick door muffled it enough to where you couldn’t quite hear what was being said.

 

Whoever this other skeleton was, he didn’t seem happy about having a human in his house. You sighed inwardly. Maybe you would end up back at the ward after all? It didn’t happen often, but every once in awhile a servant would be returned for some reason or another. Part of you was relieved at the prospect of going back to what was familiar, but another part of your mind reasoned that nothing bad had been done to you. In fact, he was treating you pretty damn well. ‘So far’ - the pessimistic side of you chimed in. Your mood suitably dampened, you undressed and started the shower. Bathing products of all kinds lined the counters and shelves, all branded with hot pink and black. There were orange and blue towels on the racks - you took a blue one for yourself and put it on top of the toilet seat for easy reaching. You guessed it was Sans’. The collar, which you expected to be locked, came off easily - nothing more than a simple belt fasten. You placed it carefully on the side of the sink. Even though it had only been an hour or two, your neck already felt naked without it on. You had to admit - even though you hated what it stood for, it  _ was _ rather pretty. That would likely have to be returned too.

 

It was hard to stay depressed for long under the soothing warm water. You scrubbed harshly at the layer of grime on your skin; the showers at the ward had 5 minute limits, and soap was a rarity. Before long you were shiny and clean. You didn’t know what “Bishie Cream” was, or “Bone Cologne”, but you eventually found a bottle that you were fairly sure contained shampoo. You worked the tangles out of your locks with your fingers, wincing every time you came across a particularly stubborn one. The person staring back at you from the mirror could have been you two years ago. You were a little scrawnier, and your hair was a little longer, but you no longer resembled the shy prisoner that Madjick picked up off the streets. 

 

You reached for one of the bags from Muffet’s and hesitated. If they were relinquishing you, it’d be rather presumptuous to put on one of the new outfits only to change again. You redressed in your shirt, jeans, and jacket for now. The clothes felt gritty against your newly washed skin, but better that than nothing. After a long moment, you picked up the collar and put it on, too. You could always take that off again in a hurry and there was no need to make them even more upset than they already were.

 

The brothers had gone quiet a few minutes ago, and when you peered out of the bathroom, neither was to be seen. Venturing out, you set the bags down by the stairs and began to explore. You felt like you were being nosy, but what else did they expect you to do? 

 

The interior of their home was rather nice. They had dark hardwood floors in the entranceway and the main hall. There were framed pictures peppered on the walls there, continuing up the stairs. You took a long minute to look at them. Most of them featured Sans and his brother, posing goofily either together or with a rag tag group of mismatched monsters. In one they were making snowmen; in another in the middle of a snowball war. The lighting in all of them was strange, as if the outdoors were lit with no obvious source of light. Some were in dark caverns alit with crystals, glowing blue water illuminating their faces. They looked happy. Was this the underground? 

 

Some of the pictures stood out to you. They were placed in subtly hard to see spots, and had a light layer of dust coating the glass. These also showed the brothers in the underground, doing fairly normal things - but wait.

 

There was someone else with them. A small child (a  _ human _ child) in a large sweater, with dark brown hair that framed their face. You leaned in to get a closer look-

 

“* heya.”

 

Your wet bare feet slid on the stairs and your stomach leapt into your throat as you fell, only to stop inches before your head hit the floor. 

 

“* no need to  _ trip _ out kid - paps left a while ago.”

 

The joke fell flat.

 

You felt extremely light and your body maneuvered itself to a standing position before being set gently down on the floor. From this vantage point you could see that Sans was using some sort of magic on your person - his hand raised lazily in front of him. One of his eye sockets was empty and black, while the other was illuminated with a blue glow. Gravity rushed back as he let you go, and you let out a breath you weren’t aware you were holding.

 

Your hands were trembling so hard with unused adrenaline that you struggled to sign out a thank you. Great. Something else you owed him for. With a heavy thunk, you sat down heavily on the bottom stair. Something wet splashed against your hand and you realized you were crying. You weren’t sad exactly, but all the events of the day had finally caught up to you, and you found yourself unable to stop the flood of emotion. 

 

You barely noticed when Sans sat next to you, but you certainly did notice when a hesitant hand was placed on your back, in a clumsy attempt at comfort. His fingers made small soothing circles between your shoulder blades, and you limply collapsed into his shoulder. At this, he stiffened for a second; only to forcibly relax himself.

 

“* this uh… sometimes the kid would have rough nights too. nightmares and shit. whenever they’d wake up this always helped calm them down.”

 

His voice was cautiously low, as if afraid that you would realize what you were doing and distance yourself again. But you stayed, your breath gradually slowing until we was half sure you had fallen asleep. He felt your hand move, signing something against the side of his jacket. 

 

~Who?~

 

He let out a long breath, his other hand rasping quietly against his skull as he ran it against the smooth bone. For a second, he considered pretending he hadn’t understood, but he reasoned that if this human was staying with them, they’d find out eventually.

 

“* fri- the kid was someone we knew pretty well back in the underground. i guess you could say we were pretty close at one point… like a family.” His hand stilled it’s movements against your back as Sans was temporarily lost in his recollection. Flashes of distant memories tugged at the back of his mind; solving puzzles, eating spaghetti. Dust. Soft and cloying and thick. Grains that stuck in his joints and crept between his teeth.

 

“* but something like that wasn’t meant to last. They uh… they’re gone. i can barely even remember them honestly...” He trailed off, embarrassed for sharing more than he intended. He paused, waiting anxiously for a response, but none was forthcoming. A soft muffled snore came from the the right of his skull, and a glance over confirmed it.

 

Face buried in the fur of the hood of a monster you barely knew - you had fallen fast asleep.


	6. Remember, Remember

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last one for tonight because this one hurts me and I love yall. A chapter from the brothers POV. Next update will be sometime tomorrow!

_ An hour prior _

 

As soon as the bathroom door clicked shut, Papyrus lost it. It had been a very long time since Sans had seen his brother this angry, and oftentimes he forgot it was possible.

 

“I cannot believe that you went out and brought home a  _ human _ ! Not only that, but a  _ servant _ ? I know how you feel about that sort of thing Sans!”

 

Ever since the slave trade had risen in the Overground, the brothers had vehemently refused to have anything to do with it. It wasn’t long ago that they had lived with a human - at least for a small while, and they couldn’t with a good conscience take part. It felt… wrong. The humans alive today had nothing to do with the mages that sealed them beneath the earth hundreds of years ago. 

 

Almost everyone in town had one by now, except for those who couldn’t afford it. Having a servant was a status symbol. It wasn’t a secret that the skeleton brothers were well off; Sans used to be assistant to the Royal Scientist, and with Papyrus in the Royal Guard, they had plenty of gold. It was getting harder by the day to hide the fact that they didn’t have a human of their own.

 

Sockets black, the shorter skeleton stood frozen under the furious spiel of his younger brother. Large bony hand shook him by the shoulders; snapping him out of his catatonic state. Sans’ eyes flickered back to life; still small and dim.

 

“* she was scared paps! henry was bidding on her, and you heard the rumors about what happens to humans who go home with him.”

 

He’d heard them. Henry bought his humans for… entertainment purposes. Rumor had it that he went through at least one every month or so. They always “ran away” or “got sick”. But everyone knew what  _ really _ happened to them.

 

“* look on the bright side papyrus. now we can tell everyone that we have a human, and they’ll stop teasing you about it.”

 

“But brother. What about your nightmares? You still have trouble even being out in public if there’s too many of them out there. I thought we agreed to -” 

 

His eye lights flickered to the wall of photos by the stairs. What his younger brother was saying was true… but...

 

“* she needed me paps… she can’t even talk.”

 

He didn’t want to tell his brother that she had, in some way, reminded him too much of the kid.

 

Papyrus felt his anger drain away and let out a long sigh. He knew that they would regret this. He wasn’t exactly sure how his brother had gotten so attached to the child whom had fallen into the underground. In fact, they had only stayed with the brothers for a couple days, before going on to Asgore’s castle and eventually dying to bring down the barrier. 

 

But ever since then, Sans had been sleeping less and less. He would wake up crying in the middle of the night, bright blue magic spilling from under the door. He kept screaming about “resets”, and bright yellow flowers and stained glass hallways. Papyrus knew that his brother thought that he hadn’t noticed; but he had. 

 

He had also seen the look in his eyes when they first came into town, lingering behind the attack. The haunted look when Sans had seen just how many humans surrounded them.

 

Papyrus would never tell his brother that he had lost it back then - eyes blanking out before flaring up brilliantly; joining the attack and killing any human that got too close. No one was spared. The taller skeleton had lugged his brother into one of the deserted houses. They hunkered down until the attack had ended, and Sans had regained his senses. 

 

From then on Papyrus had done his best to limit his brother’s interactions with the humans as much as possible. Little by little, he had gotten better, but it was getting to a point where he was losing hope that the nightmares would ever stop.

 

“I just… I’m worried about you Sans. Not to mention a tiny little detail you forgot about.”

 

What had he forgotten? Sans had filled out the paperwork, and gotten her checked, and ID’d… was there anything else?

 

“* uh.. What bro?”

 

Oh stars above. 

 

“Sans. Just WHAT are you planning to do with her? You  _ hate _ the human slave act, and it’s against the law to just… befriend one!”

 

“* i guess that makes us convicts then.” There was a tone in his brother’s voice that Papyrus knew he didn’t like.

 

His brother was very lazy, but when he got a notion to do something - there was really no stopping him. Exasperated, Papyrus tried pleading with him one last time.

 

“I’m a member of the royal guard you know. If Undyne finds out..” He let the consequences hang. Sans’ eye flickered blue threateningly, and the sharp smell of ozone filled the hallway. 

 

“* she won’t.” With a flash, the short skeleton disappeared. That was the end of it. 

 

Papyrus turned off the stove and quietly packed up the lunch he had made for work, shoving it in a black bag with the rest of his armour and guard supplies. It was almost 7pm, which meant that Undyne was expecting him for guard training. 

 

He felt conflicted; he hated lying to his superior. But Sans was his brother; and if that meant lying to not only his boss, but also his best friend - so be it. The front door closed behind him with a quiet click, and he stood for a moment on the front porch, letting the warm evening summer air seep into his bones. His sockets closed and he took a second to just breathe. To appreciate the sun, and the sky, and the surface. 

 

The stars would be out soon.

 

“Fine. This stays between you and me. Though if Asgore ever finds out… there may be nothing I can do. For either of you.”


	7. On Top Of Spaghetti

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to try my best to give you guys longer chapters! Thank you for all your support!
> 
> I need to write the next chapter, so next update may be tomorrow or maybe even monday.

You woke up to smell of cooking eggs and the soft clattering of cookware. You were tucked under a soft green blanket, laying on a lumpy worn black couch. Your mind hazily tried to connect the dots. Where… where were you? This wasn’t home, and it certainly wasn’t your bunk at the ward so…

 

A chorus of shouts and jingling gold.

 

A flash of bright green light and cold metal against your back.

 

The smell of silk webbing and pastries.

 

It all came flooding back to you in an instant. The escape, the auction - everything! You were in the skeleton brothers home. You had… oh god you had fallen asleep on your new slave master after crying your heart out in front of him. Groaning inwardly, you covered your face with your hands, willing yourself to just die instead of having to face the embarrassment you were sure to be in for today. 

 

Tearing the blankets off, you swung your feet over the edge of the couch and stood up sluggishly. You felt well rested, and the carpet between your toes was beige and luxuriously plush. Someone was cooking breakfast, and the last thing you wanted was to be caught sleeping in like some welcomed house guest. Rubbing the sleep from your eyes, you wandered into what must be the kitchen, only to see the taller skeleton from the night before. He must have heard you get up, because he had glanced over at the doorway as you walked in before returning to his cooking. Sans was nowhere to be seen, and his brothers reaction to you last night left you cagey and on guard. 

 

His outfit today was just as outlandish as yesterday’s, with another brightly colored modified shirt and similar jeans. Skilled hands diced and grated and stirred as he danced confidently around the kitchen, purposefully paying you no mind. 

 

You were at a loss. This was technically your first day as a servant, but you had no idea what either of these men wanted from you. Should you…?

 

The tall skeleton started when you tugged lightly on his shirt, almost losing the omelette he was making as he spun around to avoid you. 

 

“Y-Yes human? Do you need something?” He was very apparently uncomfortable; his jaw tightly clenched and that strange expression back in his eyes. His voice was loud and curt. 

 

Lifting your hands, you asked if you could help with anything around the kitchen. You were met with a blank gaze. A drop of sweat dripped down his temple as he regarded you. 

 

“I’m afraid I do not follow.”

 

You tried again, pointing to the sink full of dirty dishes inquisitively. 

 

“Oh! Yes I suppose you can help out. Did Sans tell you to do this?” The prospect seemed to upset the skeleton and you quickly shook your head. He hadn’t given you any direct orders yet to be honest if you gave it some thought. 

 

Communicating was so hard without your hands. Scrunching up your face in concentration, you parted your lips. It wasn’t that anything was technically wrong with your voice, but years of disuse had left your vocal chords weak.

 

“To… thank… you.” It was whisper-quiet and scratchy, but understandable.

 

This time he did drop the omelette, not expecting his brothers mute servant to talk for Asgore’s sake. If not for your quick reflexes, his breakfast would have ended up on the floor. Instead, he found you ungracefully cradling the egg pocket in your hands.

 

“You… you can talk?” It was less of a question and more of a statement of disbelief. He swore he could’ve imagined it, as you clammed up again readily after the short statement. You placed the omelette on a plate next to the stove and wiggled your hand side to side. He could understand that one at least - “so-so.”

 

After you’d been captured and taken to the ward, you had fallen into a violent spell of depression. You didn’t want to eat, or talk, or do anything except sleep. The rest of the residents quickly lost interest, and by the time you had somewhat recovered, you had gotten so used to not talking that you just.. didn’t bother. After a few months, you forgot you even could. Once you reached an age where you could be sold, Madjick tried to get you to talk to no avail. And the methods he’d used… you became even more determined not to give him what he wanted. Taking pity on you, one of the kinder wardens taught you a special language they knew - one that used your hands instead of your voice. It was like human sign language, but different. You had caught on quickly, and found it much more comforting to speak in a way that no one could overhear but the intended recipient. 

 

You hadn’t had a reason to speak to anyone until now. They all weren’t worth it. But you wanted Sans’ brother to like you if there was a possibility of you staying here.

 

A plate clinked against the countertop as he took another plate from the cabinet and set it next to the one that was already out. Half of the omelette was cut and placed on to the new plate and handed to you. He gestured to the small dining table in the corner of the kitchen. You sat.

 

The two of you ate in silence for a while; you inhaled your portion in record time - it was delicious! It was also the first decent meal you had eaten in years, but you were sure it would’ve tasted good regardless. You were still hungry after finishing, but didn’t dare ask for anything else. Papyrus was the first to break the silence. 

 

“I.. am sorry about my reaction yesterday. I was upset with my brother and let my emotions get away from me.” You certainly weren’t expecting that. He continued, looking like he had something to get off his chest.

 

“It’s just that we never expected to own a servant, and for the life of me I’m still not sure why Sans went and brought you home with him. Especially after… well, he said he was passing by the auction and it just sort of happened. I’m sure that’s not the whole story, but either way it makes this whole situation rather awkward for all of us.”

 

So you were right before - they weren’t your run of the mill slave owners. They would definitely return you after this. You tuned back in.

 

“-ut what’s done is done, and as long as Sans requests it, you will stay here with us. There is an extra bed in the guest room upstairs, and as long as you follow the basic rules, I think you won’t have too hard of a time adjusting.”

 

You couldn’t believe your ears. They wanted you to… stay with them? No service required? There had to be some sort of trick. Monsters weren’t compassionate - at least not to your kind. There was always a condition; a request behind every honey-laced favor. You had learned that lesson well at the Ward. Frowning, you pushed your empty plate away and crossed your arms in front of you. The action caused your collar to jingle softly, reminding you that even though you were eating a nice meal with a seemingly nice monster - you were still a prisoner. 

 

“I do not blame you for not trusting us.” He seemed a bit sad, but not surprised by your reaction. “Sans will be home in a few hours. Your room is upstairs at the end of the hall.”

 

Dismissed, you scooted the chair back from the table and retreated upstairs. You were careful to ignore the pictures that reminded you of your little breakdown the night before. There were three doors in the upper hallway, the first two personalized for each of the brothers. You assumed the first was the taller brother’s - decorated with pictures of race cars and bones. The second, almost drab in comparison, must be Sans’. The only sign was a sloppily painted S in the center in light blue paint, with a cartoon bone underneath. It fit him. 

 

The last door must’ve been the guest room, lacking any personalization. The door opened easily with a reserved squeak; revealing a tastefully decorated bedroom complete with a bed, a dresser, and a small window looking out to the sidewalk. Your bags from Muffet’s sat on the bed, which was made messily with dark blue sheets. You stood in the doorway for a second, still stunned by what Papyrus and you had discussed over breakfast. 

 

They couldn’t do that… could they? It was illegal to house a human if they weren’t in servitude. Even if they wanted to…

 

You shoved that notion away, determined to keep yourself cautious. At the very least, you had been given a vague order - to stay in your room until Sans returned. Could Papyrus even technically give you orders? 

 

You thought back to the terrifying visage that was angry Papyrus and realized that you would probably listen to the guy if he had bought you or not. You were wary of Sans, but if you honest with yourself, you were pretty damn scared of his brother. 

 

The bed sank under your weight as you collapsed on it, the sheets comfortably cool. The bags bounced and flopped onto their side, contents spilling onto the covers. You breathed in, the scent of lavender filling your nostrils. 

 

It was better than being at the Ward, you reasoned. You just had to look at it a different way. Think of it like… renting a room, but paying with chores and shit.

 

‘Just like high school.’ 

 

And instead of living with overbearing parents, you got to live with eerie skeleton monsters who could easily rend you limb from limb!

 

‘Woah there me - positive thoughts.’

 

You weren’t tired; you’d slept through the night on the couch, and it was still early. The sun shone through the window and made a rectangular swath of light on the wooden floor. A good half hour passed before you were bored to death of lying in bed - as comfortable as it was. Another hour was wasted trying on your new clothes, making different outfits and looking over yourself in a mirror set above the dresser. Now that you were sure that you were here for the time being, you settled on a pair of black leggings and a dark purple dress, which was patterned with tiny stars. It flared out as you did a little spin - You looked good! 

 

Papyrus had said “a few hours”, but after three you had had quite enough of your new room. You had explored every nook and cranny, put your clothes away in the drawers, and stared out the window at the monsters and humans that passed by. It seemed like this part of town was relatively busy at this time of day. It was from here that you saw Sans make his way down the street towards the house. You got the sudden urge to wave at him, and knocked at the window. 

 

Empty sockets stared up at you as Sans whipped his head towards the source of the sound. There was a shimmer in the summer air and even though your eyes never left his, the space where he stood on the sidewalk was now empty. A chill worked your way up your spine.

 

No matter where you looked, there was no sign of him. There was no way he could’ve gone far! 

 

The hair on your arms stood on end as the temperature in the room dropped significantly. A soft cloud of breath bloomed on the pane in front of your lips. Almost as soon as you noticed, the room was back to normal, a very jarring experience. What in the-

 

“* do you like the room?”

 

You must’ve jumped a solid foot in the air as you whirled around to see Sans reclining on your bed, head resting easily on his forearms. He was grinning easily, nothing like the expression you had seen before. You snuck another glance at the sidewalk outside where you swore he was a split second ago. Your hands started moving wildly.

 

~How did you do that? You were just~ 

 

~and now you’re~

 

~??!~

 

That last bit was you making several confused gestures with your arms from the window to the bed. By the way he laughed he knew exactly what you were referring to.

 

“* just took a little shortcut. we’ve got more important things to talk about, kitten.” He put emphasis on the pet name (ha.) he had given you back at the lab. 

 

Your heart sunk. Here it was. You’d been waiting for the pin to drop all day; for all their graciousness to be repaid. He even had the nerve to look cheery about the whole thing; you noted glumly. He wouldn’t be here… in your room… on your bed unless-

 

Sans sat up on the bed with a grunt, his hands held out in a placating gesture. For a moment you thought you saw his easy attitude falter.

 

“* woah woah, i dunno what you’re thinking, but put that train of thought back in the station. I figured Paps woulda talked to you by now.”

 

Your arms wrapped protectively around your knees as you settled into a comfortable seating position against the window. Might as well hear him out. Bright white pin pricks looked into your eyes searchingly for a second, unusually alert in contrast with his body language. 

 

“* so as you probably know by now, i don’t really want a slave. not really my style - per say. as much as i love doing nothing, i’m not really comfortable with the idea of ordering someone around.”

 

The leather of your collar was warm to the touch. You had reached up to mess with it casually, and didn’t miss the way the movement caught his momentary attention.

 

~Why don’t you bring me back to the Ward then? I’m sure that they’d understand that it was a~

 

~mistake/bad idea/accident~

 

Sometimes exact meaning was hard to get across in wing dings. One sign could have multiple meanings.

 

“* i may not have thought this through, but i  _ did _ mean to buy you. and i don’t intend you return you either. we both know you’d just end right back up on that platform, and the next monster that grabs you may not have the best intentions.”

 

The way the green furred monster had licked his lips made you shudder involuntarily. 

 

“Why… why do you care?”

 

The grin dropped from his face, lights shrinking at the sound of your voice. He tried to recover from his surprise, but you could tell he was shaken.

 

“* what did you just say?”

 

You knew what he meant, but he hadn’t answered your question.

 

“Why do you care what happens to me?”

 

It was still quiet, but it came out a little stronger this time.

 

The room was silent except for the sound of bone scraping bone as Sans wrung his hands together nervously.

 

“* you remind me of someone i used to know… but that’s not why entirely.” 

 

_ Click, click, click _ . More hand wringing.

 

“* you’ll just have to take my word for it. I just feel that really _really_ it’s important that i do.”


	8. The Owl and The Pussycat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If any of you ever have questions about the fic, or just want to chat, my tumblr is http://sinsational-sinnabon.tumblr.com
> 
> Apologies for such a plotless chapter *sweats*. I promise there are things to come.

He tried his best to retain his casual countenance, but your outburst had thrown him off. All day he had been considering how to word what he wanted to say to you.

 

He’d wanted to assure you that the brothers meant you no harm. To make you realize that despite his hesitation and his brothers outbursts, you were welcome in their home. That perhaps, eventually, the three of you could even be a fa-

 

A small tan face, framed by soft brown hair, flashed through his memory paired with the sickly sweet smell of flowers, and hidden behind it, the unmistakable smell of dust. The human’s eyes, naturally narrow, opened suddenly, and a splinter of cold fear pierced his soul. Their eyes were wrong. _Unnatural._ But he couldn’t pinpoint WHY. The child that stared back at him was the same as always. They hadn’t changed. Their eyes had always been -

 

Red?

 

That felt...  

 

 _so_ **_wrong_ **

 

 _so_ **_right_ **

 

 _Friends._ Sans stopped himself harshly then, forcefully reminding himself of what happened the last time he had treated a human so familiarly.

 

When it came down to it, and he had confronted you, all that ultimately came out were vague cryptic deflections. Not that he knew how to word what he was feeling anyway. It confused even him after all. With his aversion to humans, this was the last thing he should be doing today.

 

But here you were.

 

And here you’d stay.

 

You were looking at him expectantly, eyes drilling into him with an intense curiosity that made his soul vibrate uncomfortably. The magic that wound through his bones was hot and dense. A bead of sweat made it’s way down his skull. The longer the room bathed in the resultant silence, the heavier the air became. You hadn’t responded after he’d forced out that last statement, and were obviously expecting him to follow up with a better explanation. He had none.

 

You kept messing with your collar. Did you hate it? Was it uncomfortable? You had put it back on after you’d showered last night… which meant what exactly? You were wearing the clothes from the shop; you already looked much different from the girl on the auction stand. Your eyes weren’t filled with panic or desperation. What he saw was different. Relatable. Hesitant.

 

Lonely.

 

“* so you _can_ talk.”

 

That’s not what he intended to say at all, but it worked it’s way past his teeth unbidden, pressed on by a forceful curiosity. You frowned, eyes narrowing. His eyes flickered to your trembling hands from your still semi-parted lips, halfway expecting you to open them again.

 

~I prefer talking this way if given the _choice_ ~

 

Your wording left little guesswork to your implications. He felt his magic twist in distress at the thinly veiled accusation. Of course she wouldn’t trust him. What reason had he given her to be able to?

 

“* if you’re waiting for me to order you to speak, it won't happen. i‘ll ask things of you, but never an order.” As much as he desired to hear your voice again, soft and syllabic and drawing; he had promised. “* it’s obvious you don’t trust us, but i give you my word on that.” A pregnant pause. “* and i despise making promises.”

 

By the way your shoulders relaxed, and the subtle acrid scent of fear that had been permeating the room vanished, Sans could tell that your optimistic curiosity had won out over your instinctual distrust. When you started signing next, your hands were a bit more sure of themselves.

 

~I still don’t trust you.~

 

Sans slumped visibly. What did he have to do to convince-

 

~But I believe your promise was sincere. I… I’ll consider your requests.~

 

Eye lights flashed brightly before he could contain himself. Progress! For some reason that felt way more rewarding than he thought it should.

 

 

* * *

 

 

You wondered if the ways the lights in his sockets functioned meant anything. You’d been watching them closely as he’d spoke, and through them you could see much of the emotion that the rest of his countenance kept hidden. They grew and shrank, softened and sharpened throughout your conversation. It was… fascinating.

 

White pinpricks followed your every movement, small and bright. The longer you were around Sans, the better you were getting at interpreting his emotions. Papyrus was so animated and easy to read that you’d originally marked the shorter brother as a blank slate; but now you realized that you just needed to look for signs in different places. The easiest tell was his eyes, but you were learning to discern the slight changes in his set grin - more malleable than you originally gave it credit for. Tension in the way he held himself; hidden behind forced relaxation. Hidden meaning in the way he spoke, like there was something dark and deep disguised beneath casual conversation. These were all things that you were used to doing yourself.

 

You’d expected him to ask about your voice; you could see the curiosity in his eyes. But you hadn’t expected him to make that promise. Your distrust, your wariness, your fear - for this, you could temporarily put them aside. If they ended up hurting you, well - it was nothing you weren’t used to.

 

Your knees creaked and your back complained as you got to your feet after sitting in such a position for so long. You made for the bed, and the skeletal figure scooted over enough to give you a respectable berth. The mattress creaked under your combined weight as you sat next to him. You left a few feet between you.

 

This is the closest you had voluntarily been to a monster in… a long while.

 

This was the closest he’d voluntarily been to a human in… years.

 

Despite that - despite both of your pasts and internalized fears and misgivings - it felt comfortable. Safe even.

 

The shadows on your floor grew long and had almost disappeared by the time Sans moved, breaking the tentative connection. Neither of you had spoken in this time, just… existing in each other's presence.

 

You bounced a bit as Sans hopped down from the bed, reaching the door in only a couple steps. His phalanges lingered on the door handle.

 

“* uh… dinner will be ready pretty soon. we’d really appreciate it if you joined us. alphys said to make sure you get some food in ya before ya end up lookin like us.”

 

At his last comment, he turned just enough to offer you a friendly grin. You knew he added that last bit. How long had it been since you’d joked? It was infectious, and you felt your lips tug at the corners of your mouth in return.

 

“I-I’d like that”

 

A short breath huffed out between his teeth and his grin softened, a bit more genuine.

 

“* see ya in a bit then... kitten”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Papyrus seemed a bit on edge when you came down the stairs a few minutes later, sheepishly approaching the small square table in the kitchen where you had eaten breakfast with the taller brother earlier. It looked like they had just finished discussing something - something that seemed to disagree with Papyrus. He refused to look at you when you came in, looking instead pointedly out the window. His brother however seemed entirely at ease, leaning back in his chair so that only two legs touched the floor. They were both already seated, a third place set on the opposite side of Sans. The plate was heaped high with some sort of pasta dish; the combination of tomatoes and garlic tickled your nose tantalizingly. When you looked at Sans inquisitively, he nodded marginally. His mouth hitched in amusement. Of course it was for you.

 

The chair scraped noisily against the wooden floor as you sat, and the way your fork clinked against the plate was embarrassingly loud. Or was that just in relation to the silence that had descended on the table? Was every meal that you were going to eat here doomed to be this awkward? Trying to drown out the atmosphere, you shoved a bite of pasta into your mouth. The sauce was thick and savoury, with a perfect amount of spice that danced on your tongue before you swallowed. The noodles were perfectly cooked too, not too soft or too hard. Holy shit.

 

You put your fork down on your plate and felt Papyrus’s gaze.

 

~This is amazing Papyrus! You’re a very talented cook!~

 

He looked at his brother anxiously, his breath bated for him to translate. Sans, however, was focused only on you. His eyes were bright and his smile wide as you complimented his brother. A genuine compliment!

 

“Sans!”

 

His skull whipped around to see his brother fidgeting with the hem of his shirt, looking at him pointedly.

 

“What did the human say?”

 

You’d forgotten that Papyrus couldn’t understand your language, and immediately cast your eyes back down at the plate, cowed.

 

“* she said that you’re a really talented cook bro.”

 

From the corner of your eye, you could see Papyrus attempting to hide a smile under narrowed sockets. Even so, you could see how his hands shook with joy as he took another bite, to deflect the attention in the room from himself.

 

“It’s not nice to tease brother. What did she really say?”

 

You tugged at his sleeve, trying to get his attention. When he finally met your eye, you gave him a hopefully encouraging grin and a thumbs up. With a loud crash, Papyrus stood up suddenly and hastily left the room.

 

“I-I need to use the bathroom! I’ll return shortly!”

 

Your eyes followed as he took his leave. Was that…?

For a second, you thought you noticed an orange glow highlighting his cheekbones. Must be a trick of the light, you reasoned. They’re skeletons - no blood remember?

 

A low chuckle from across the table brought your attention back to the remaining apologetic looking skeleton brother. You gave him an apologetic look in return and signed ~I’m sorry~. He waved a hand dismissively at you.

 

“* he’s upset that you’re nice. i think he’s still pissed at me for bringing you home. don’t worry about it- he’ll come around.”

 

It didn’t make sense to you, and you weren’t particularly concerned with becoming besties with your new housemate, but you nodded anyway as you began to eat again. It was too delicious and you were too hungry to put your meal on hold for drama.

 

As you lifted your fork for a particularly voracious bite, you noticed that Sans’ plate was empty. You were positive that it was full just a moment ago… Your eyebrows furrowed as you focused on his mouth. Could he even open it? He hadn’t needed to move it when he spoke after all...

 

“* he’s just worried about me.”

 

His words interrupted your train of thought. He must have misinterpreted your staring.

 

You filed away this new information with the rest of the things that didn’t quite add up about the skeleton brothers. Why would Papyrus need to be worried about Sans?

 

And more importantly, what threat could you possibly pose to the monster across from you?  


	9. One Two Buckle My Shoe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to include their day out in this chapter, but this part just stretched out too long. The next chapter will contain all their out on the town shenanigans!
> 
> My tumblr is http://sinsational-sinnabon.tumblr.com if any of yall wanna chat! :)

As your first month with the brothers passed, you found yourself easily falling into their routine. Strangely enough they were hardly ever home; Sans had a handful of jobs he did around town, and whenever he wasn’t making dinner or cleaning, Papyrus was out training. You never asked of course. Whatever you had come to know about the brothers was through their conversations at the dinner table - the only time you saw them together. It was then that they would go over their days and make small talk about what went on around town.

 

Papyrus was a member of the royal guard, and had already had to diffuse several fights in the town square. Undyne, whom you guessed was his superior, always sent him on these missions due to his particular expertise in talking things out. You disagreed, but the only side Papyrus had shown you so far was stoic and distant. If you hadn’t seen his energetic greeting the first time you’d entered the house, you would have a hard time believing he could behave any differently.

 

You swore Sans had a different job for every day of the week. Either that, or he just changed up his story to make them more amusing. He was always doing that, putting a humorous spin on the tales he told. You tried your best not to laugh at them. While they had seemed to accept you into their daily life, there was still a clear rift between the bond the brothers had and where you sat across the table.

 

They struggled with you. Papyrus especially. It wasn’t that they didn’t try at first to ask how your days were, but after a few days of being alone in the house with nothing to do, you just didn’t have anything to say. Now they didn’t bother. Somedays you would busy yourself helping Papyrus with cleaning to stave off the growing boredom, despite his protests. It felt strange having one free day after another, after years in the Ward where every day had a strict schedule.

 

You had to admit they kept to their word. Besides eating with them, they asked absolutely nothing of you. 

 

It was Sunday- the start of your fifth week with the brothers- during dinner, when Papyrus spoke up.

 

“Sans, you can’t keep leaving the Human here during the day.”

 

_ Clack.  _ The two front chair legs, suspended in their normal manner, touched the floor as Sans leaned forward.

 

“* hm? Is she bothering you paps?” His eyes flicked momentarily to where you sat, spoon paused halfway to your mouth. Where you normally tuned them out, this change of topic had your rapt attention. You shook your head and lifted your hands to speak when Papyrus’s voice interrupted.

 

“N-no of course not Sans. She’s quieter than Napstablook was that time he stayed with us for a week when Mettaton went on tour in Snowdin.”

 

“* then wh-”

 

“There’s absolutely nothing to do in here Sans! She must be bored to death. Every good servant owner must provide adequate exercise and enrichment for their charges.” He could tell his brother wanted to protest his terminology, but he powered onward. “Just because your situation is different does not mean you can slack in your duties as her caretaker. As a member of the guard, and as your brother - I insist that you start taking full responsibility and bring her outside every once and awhile!”

 

You could feel your face heat up with embarrassment. 

 

“* ‘s that true kit?”

 

This was the worst. Now he must think you’re ungrateful. But you also weren’t going to lie and say that the prospect of going somewhere other than the house didn’t tempt you. 

 

~I... ~ Your hands fumbled. You’d forgot you were holding the spoon and it clattered to the table in a saucy puddle. In a hurry, you tried to get up to grab a paper towel to clean up the mess you had made before it could stain the table. You were stopped by a bony hand firmly gripping your wrist. Sans had risen part way in his effort to grab you, leaning over the table slightly and looking as surprised at his sudden action as you.

 

Papyrus was the only one still seated, looking like he wished he never opened his mouth.

 

“* damn.. paps was right wasn’t he? i’ll, uh, take you to work with me tomorrow!” 

 

You nodded slowly, eyes dropping to where his fingers wrapped easily around your wrist. Blood pumped hard in your chest, staining your face and coloring the tips of your ears. When he noticed your gaze, he let go as if your skin was a hot pan on the stove, shoving the offending limb deep in his jacket pocket. He looked mortified, his own cheekbones lightly resembling his worn blue hoodie. 

 

“* that is… if you… want to. that wasn’t an order or anything.” 

 

Shit! He’d mistaken your stunned silence for offense. At times like these, you were glad for Wing Dings. Even if you did talk, you don’t think you could trust your voice right now. 

 

~I would appreciate the chance to get out of the house, as nice as it is. So… yes. Please.~

 

Sans seemed appeased, his frozen stare melting into an apologetic and relieved smile.

 

“* we uh… leave at 11. you can meet me in the front hall?”

 

Your head bobbed quickly. ~sure~ 

 

“* i’m going to bed!” ~I’m going to bed!~ 

 

The two of you left almost simultaneously, him blinking away like a blip on a video screen, and you hurrying up the stairs and practically racing into the guest room before shutting the door.

 

Papyrus shoved another spoonful of pene in his mouth, chewing slowly resolutely. Two half finished plates sat abandoned on the table. Pasta sauce was everywhere. The chairs on either side of the table sat askew.

 

He was normally the first in bed. It wasn’t even 9pm!

 

‘Nyeh. What in Asgore’s name just happened?!’

 

Papyrus finished his meal, cleaned up the disaster area which was the kitchen, and went to bed.

 

 

* * *

 

  
  


You were already awake and halfway through getting dressed when the brothers began their morning ritual.

 

BANG! BANG! BANG! Furious knocking on the bedroom door next to yours.

 

“SANS! Wake up this second!”

 

Halfhearted groans and the sound of a lock tumblr clanking open.

 

“* 5 more minutes paps”

 

A soft dull thump as sheets fall to the floor, their inhabitant now being lifted and carried downstairs by his brother, still fast asleep. 

 

Damn that skeleton could sleep.

 

Most days, you would’ve gone back to sleep for a few hours after the ruckus had settled, but this morning you took one last look at yourself in the mirror and went to join the brothers at the breakfast table. If you saw any of your old acquaintances, you wanted to look on top of things. A dress, solid blue with silver trim, was what you picked to wear today. You had no idea what this job entailed and refrained from your absolute favorite articles. Ever constant was the black band encircling your neck, weighing comfortably on your skin.

 

By the time you got downstairs, Sans and Papyrus were already eating breakfast. A delicious stack of pancakes sat fluffily upon each skeleton’s plate.

 

Well - Papyrus was eating. Sans had somehow managed to remain deeply asleep throughout the whole ordeal. He was snoring softly on the table.

 

One pair of eyes turned to regard you as you helped yourself to a couple of pancakes that were still resting beside the stove. Papyrus must be going to work as well. He was dressed in an intimidating full set of armour - dark steel accented with brighter silver filigree in floral patterns. The official uniform of the Royal Guard.

 

“Good Morning Human. I take it that this means that you are accompanying my brother to his job today?”

 

You nodded and began eating hurriedly. It was close to 11, and you refused to appear late.

 

… Even though the working man himself was hardly ready either. All he had on was a pair of black adidas shorts, a white T-shirt, and bright pink bunny slippers. Was this an everyday thing? By his brother’s attitude, you figured so. Did monsters not know what coffee was?

 

Deep in thought, you didn’t notice the tall skeleton sidle over beside you until his plate complained against the metal bottom of the sink. You started, but calmed yourself quickly before he could notice.

 

“I would appreciate if you would be on your best behavior today Human. My brother is really sticking his neck out for you, and if anyone finds out that we are harboring a human outside of the rules of servitude... “

 

You glanced up at him, and were surprised to see that instead of the guarded look that you were used to around you, he looked… worried. Worried and tired.

 

“Well, it would be best if they didn’t.”

 

His last admission seemed less like a threat and more like concern. You tried to give him an understanding smile and tapped on the small silver disk that rested above your collarbone. 

 

You would act the part when you were out and about. After all, you doubted you had anything to worry about. The last time you were out with Sans, when he had first gotten you, required almost no effort on your part. As long as you stayed with Sans, you weren’t breaking any laws.

 

A thick gloved hand landed on your shoulder, accompanied by a soft “nyeh heh heh”

 

“I suppose I’ve been to hard on you up till now kind Human. I don’t mean to be unfriendly.”

 

Grabbing Papyruses large hand, you brought it down from your shoulder and held it between the two of you.

 

“Nyeh? What are you doing?” 

 

Your tongue stuck slightly from between your lips with concentration as you maneuvered his fingers and hand into a short series of movements. You let go of his glove and repeated the motion slowly with your own hands.

 

“Are you trying to teach me one of your signs? What does it mean?” 

 

He fumbled to copy you, getting it mostly correctly.

 

You couldn’t help but grin as you worked your way through the movement one last time; your hand curling up loosely and making a circle in the middle of your chest. 

 

“Friends?”

 

His face lit up in recognition, and the way he grinned could’ve rivaled the sun. 

 

“Wowie! I-if you insist human, I suppose we can be… friends.”

 

You felt a chill crawling up your spine. Breaking eye contact with Papyrus, you spotted Sans - now very much awake - sitting up at the kitchen table. Just like the split second look from before, the lights in his eyes had disappeared, and the gaze centered directly on you was extremely hostile and foreboding. 

 

“Sans?” Papyrus’ voice cut through the quiet, and like faulty christmas lights, his brothers’ pupils flickered back into existence. For a second, Sans looked confused, as if he couldn’t place exactly where he was. Your eyes met, and he seemed to relax. 

 

What was that about?

 

“* ready to go kitten?” He must’ve seen the look you gave him, because he took the hint and looked down at himself.

 

“* heh. be right back.” And then he was gone. That sure was a handy trick of his.

 

He really did mean right back. Seconds later he blipped back into the kitchen; still wearing his shorts and blank shirt, but now wearing sneakers and his trademark hoodie shrugged loosely over his form. 

 

~Are you really going to wear that to work?~ 

 

Thinking about it, you didn’t think you’d seen him in much else. You followed him to the hallway, a glance at the clock showing 11:05.

 

You tugged at his sleeve and pointed at the clock. 

 

“* i was hoping to show you around before work, but i guess we gotta take a shortcut.” You felt him slip his hand around your waist, pulling you close. Your hands were pinned uncomfortably - leaving you unable to protest. 

 

“* close your eyes alright? Don’t open them until i say so.”

 

You guessed that could be considered an order, but either way you screwed your eyes shut. 

 

In less than a second, all that was left was an empty hallway and a faint trace of ozone.

 

The both of you were gone.


	10. A Little Boy Blue Come Blow Your Horn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A month has passed. Sans almost gives a bunny a very bad time. He still sells 'dogs. That's apostrophe dogs. Short for Hot Dogs.
> 
> As usual, here is my tumblr! I will start posting writing updates and when I update this fic there. If you want to get a hold of me, I check it often!
> 
> http://sinsational-sinnabon.tumblr.com

It felt like you were falling. Not daring to look, you could only feel the claustrophobic grip of the space around you, grasping at your clothes and arms. It was cold. So unbelievably cold. You felt like screaming but there was no air to fuel your lungs.

 

Were you dying?

 

With a ragged gasp, you felt an unfamiliar presence hook deep in your chest cavity and you just _shifted._ As if you took a step without walking. The warmth of the midday sun exploded on your skin and chased away the intense shivering. You took loud grateful breaths of air and mentally checked that you were alive and in one piece.

 

“* shit. are you okay? the first time through the void is supposed to be pretty rough.”

 

Suddenly realizing that you were practically gripping onto the skeleton for dear life, you quickly let go and stepped away. You immediately swayed on your feet and were stabilized by a soft hand on your back. You opened your eyes.

 

Sans’ concerned face filled your vision, uncomfortably close. What interested you more though was the fact that you were outside, and the fact that you recognized the park behind him. It was one where, before the take over, you had often gone with your parents on pleasant weekends. You would sit on the bench and feed stale bread crusts to the ducks, taking pleasure in watching the people pass by.

 

It gave you some comfort to see that it was almost exactly the same - down to the benches and the lake and even the small scattering of ducks on its surface.

 

“* you’re kinda worrying me here kit.”

 

Oh! You still hadn’t responded! Your eyes snapped back to Sans, and smiled sheepishly.

 

~Yeah! Sorry. I’m alright now. I can’t believe you do that just to get to your room from the kitchen.~

 

He laughed at that. “* i don’t feel it the same way you do. for me, it’s more like stepping through a doorway that just comes out somewhere else.”

 

Once he was certain you were steady, he removed his hand from your back. Wherever he touched tingled strangely, and you wiggled your shoulders around to try and dispel the feeling. It was probably the sudden change in temperature, you reasoned. Your mind thought back to the night before, when you had a similar sensation when he’d grabbed your arm at dinner.

 

But you hadn’t felt anything like that on the day he brought you home…. Ugh. You wrote it off as monster magic shenanigans and followed Sans, whom had left the mostly concealed grove where you had arrived and begun trekking across the park. He’d glanced back to see if you were following, but aside from that you were thankful he wasn’t being too overbearing.

 

He stopped to say hello to a tall blue monster bunny, manning an ice cream stand. They obviously knew each other, and were quickly engaged in conversation. You caught up and hovered behind him, not wanting to interrupt. From what you recalled of the 5 Rules of Servitude, you needed to be with Sans at all times when outside. For such a lazy skeleton, this was proving somewhat difficult. You would have to be less distracted.

 

“Oh? Who’s this Sans?” The bunny had noticed you, and was peering over the top of the short skeleton’s head to get a better look at you. His eyes were liquid and kind, a bemused smile on his short fuzzy muzzle.

 

Sans had turned partway around to include you in the conversation; you figured he could sense your unease as he made sure to stay close by your side. Although that could just be to help with the servant/master facade. His smile was relaxed, but if you looked hard, you could tell that he was a bit at a loss at what to say.

 

Did servants shake hands? Probably not. You bobbed your head in an approximation of a small bow. Sans seemed relieved.

 

“There were rumors around town that good ol Sansy got himself a human servant, but I never thought that they were true! Shy lil thing ain’t she?”

 

His eyes met yours briefly before he spoke up. To everyone else, you were a basic helper servant. You mean, it wasn’t an entirely inaccurate description. You _did_ help clean up after meals sometimes.

 

“* yeah, we aren’t home a lot, so she helps take care of the house while me and paps are at work.”

 

You didn’t like the knowing look the stand worker aimed at the skeleton, or the way he looked up and down your form, lingering on your natural curves.

 

“I’m sure she helps take care of more than that hm? You can trust me, I won’t tell.”

 

His lilting tone surfaced unpleasant memories: sluggish purple magic keeping you quiet in the dead of night, while cold black tendrils worked their way over your body. The others couldn’t hear you. There was no use trying to struggle. 

 

“* i don’t think i like what you’re implying bud.” Sans looked uncomfortable at best, and his face was flushed angrily.

 

You tried to brush off the chills that crawled like spiders over your skin. He wasn’t here. He wasn’t coming for you. You were safe.

 

“No need to get so defensive. Everyone does it these days. It’s just a little stress relief, it’s not like people are going to think you _like_ your servant like that. They’re just Humans after all. I heard yours was mute to boot! You’d even be able to hide it easily from that naive brother of yours!”

 

Oh man. He did NOT just bring Papyrus into this. Before things could escalate further, you began tugging insistently at Sans’ sleeve. He got the hint.

 

“* speaking of work, the stand won't man itself. gotta scram blue. we’ll catch up later alright?” There was a badly hidden bitterness to his words.

 

The rabbit’s ears flopped back as he leaned casually against the ice cream cart. He nodded and waved a paw goodbye. “Suit yourself! Bring that little cutie with ya will ya? I’m sure she and my human will get along well~”

 

Sans nodded distractedly as he led you away along the main stone walkway that cut through the park. You finally approached a small wooden hot dog stand set up near the park entrance.

 

By the smattering of blue still high on his cheekbones, you could tell Sans was still bothered by what the Rabbit had said. He placed condiments on the counter, putting them down with slightly too much force. Clunk! Ketchup. Clunk! Mustard. _Crack!_ Whoops. There went the relish. Despite the entirety of the counter and his sleeve being covered with pickled vegetables, Sans hadn’t even reacted. He was breathing heavily, clenched fist unmoved from where he’d slammed the jar down. Blank eyes were staring straight forward into the park at nothing. Every few moments, one of his eye lights would flash on - a brilliant glowing cyan - before blinking out again.

 

People were staring. You hesitantly touched his shoulder, and he snapped out of it, looking at you in surprise. A small bit of lingering discomfort remained, but it was better than whatever fit he was experiencing before.

 

You helped him clean up the spilled relish and pick up all the tiny pieces of broken glass, not knowing quite what to say. Should you mention it? Sometimes he wouldn’t remember things when his eyes would go like that, but you’d also seen it happen before when he was upset.

 

His femurs made a solid sound as he sat soundly on the wooden chair behind the stand.

 

“* i… i’m sorry. i’ve known blue my whole life and i never knew he was such a creep. ”

 

The fact that he was so angry for your sake was a little surprising. While the two of you were on good terms, he’d never seemed to care much for you besides as a house guest. You’d figured that most of his forced interactions were out of the guilt of buying you. Was it possible that he actually enjoyed your presence? Often, you’d catch him staring at your collar during meals, only to quickly look away as if he didn’t want to be noticed.

 

You wished he would look at you _now_ so that you could sign that you were alright, but he pointedly looked out over the counter of the stand. Hmph.

 

Hovering behind him as he prepared a hot dog for a amphibious monster and her child, you traced a small triangle down the fabric of his hoodie with your middle finger, drawing a line down the center and quickly backing away. He tensed at your contact, but by the way he chuckled lightly, you knew he’d understood.

 

~It’s okay~

 

The second the monster finished paying for their ‘dogs and walked away, he looked over at his shoulder to where you stood smirking.

 

“* point taken. don’t ignore someone who uses their hands to talk.” A hot dog was offered your way, and you took it readily.

 

“* be careful with that sorta thing though. From far off it could be looked at as… ya know.”

 

You hadn’t even thought about it. As soon as he pointed it out though, it was embarrassingly apparent at how… intimate that must’ve looked. And after this morning…

 

You must have looked mortified, because he let it drop. Business picked up, leaving you to ruminate on your thoughts while he served a growing line of monsters.

 

What in the world had possessed you to do something like that?! When had you become that comfortable around Sans? After you had gotten over your fear, and accepted your situation… you had stopped seeing them as monsters. The way they interacted, the way they lived, it all seemed so _human_. It didn’t matter that they were talking skeletons, or that sometimes Sans would use magic to pour milk into his cereal - to you, they had just become regular people. Somewhat still distant, and sometimes awkward, but all the same people who you wanted to be around.

 

In only a month, they had already made a huge rift in your view of monsters. Living with the brothers; window watching from your room had begun to show you that the way monsters lived… wasn’t all that different from your kind. But like a thick viscous oil, your past experiences still lingered, a dark mark on your outlook of Monsterkind. These were the same creatures who took over your town, and enslaved your people. They tortured your body at night and your mind during the waking hours. These were the creatures who had separated you from your parents.

 

Your eyes traced the back of Sans’ skull. The surface looked unblemished at first, but you could notice several small divots and cracks, long healed over - likely from childhood injuries. As he chatted with his customers, cracking horrible jokes, you would notice how his whole body would shake with the force of his laughter. His jacket, obviously very old and worn, was also well loved, with a couple places sewn messily and a couple scrubbed out small stains. You made a mental note to ask about it someday.

 

It was hard, no, almost impossible to look at him and totally separate your memories of your past from the present.

 

“* what do you tell the widow of some pasta when their husband died?” His customer tiredly asked what. “* he pasta-way!” He dissolved into chuckles, almost dropping the hot dog he had just made. With a defeated groan, the poor slime slapped some gold down on the counter and went on their way.

 

Ugh. But for his sake, you wanted to try.


	11. Sing A Song Of Sixpence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did anyone ask for fluff? Eat ya heart out~
> 
> As usual - here is my tumblr! I reblog everything UT, including lots of Sans sin. Talk to me about anything!
> 
> http://sinsational-sinnabon.tumblr.com

It was still early evening when Sans closed up shop. Monday was auction day, so most monsters had disappeared from the park and left business slow. Putting all the supplies back under the counter didn’t take long, and before long he was locking the final cabinet door and slipping the worn key into his pocket. His hands made small clacking sounds as he brushed them off against each other, getting rid of any lingering bread crumbs. You waited patiently on the other side of the stand, leaning on the counter and watching him work. He met your eyes and smiled as he stood up straight.

 

“* all done! did you enjoy your day out? not the most exciting job but it’s one of the ones i did in the underground. having at least something familiar… it’s kinda nice.”

 

You couldn’t help but smile back. After seeing the park again after a couple years, unchanged, you could absolutely understand his sentiment. That made sense why he would hold such a menial job when he obviously wasn't hurting for cash.

 

~Do you miss the Underground?~

 

Although Sans hadn’t looked away, there was now a faraway look in his eyes - as if for a second, he was somewhere else.

 

“* yes and no” He surmised briefly. A muffled ping sounded from his pocket, and Sans fished out his phone. The design was based on one of the older smartphones with a keyboard still, and it had several features tacked on that confused you. After checking the message and sending a response, he put it away. “* it’s still early, and paps would really appreciate it if we stopped by the store. you up for it?”

 

The last part he said quietly. There was nobody around, but you couldn’t chance someone overhearing him asking you something like that. Like you had a choice in the matter.

 

~Only if I can pick out a snack.~ You countered with a sly look.

 

Obviously amused, he relented and gestured for you to follow him. You knew the way to the local grocery store from here, but you let him lead, trailing a couple steps behind to linger in the park as long as you possibly could. It was a short walk, only a couple blocks. You’d used to come here on weekends with your family. You would pester them to buy you ice cream, and they would always relent. It was a ritual.

 

The usually half-empty parking lot was eerily deserted, but the store seemed as busy as usual. Which wasn’t very. Monsters trickled in and out of the automatic doors, carrying bags of goods in arms and on tails. The same slime from the park earlier came out, seeming to have absorbed the entire bag of groceries into its amorphous flesh. You didn’t have much of an opportunity to gawk though; Sans was already pushing his way past a large canine to get into the building. You used his body to slip in behind him. You were blasted with a wave of cold air, cooling your heated skin and drawing a sigh of bliss from your mouth. Sweet sweet air conditioning. Once you were inside, you realized that although the exterior had remained the same, the store interior had been completely rearranged. Half of the metal aisles were crumpled against a far wall, looking as flimsy as tinfoil in their condition. The surviving rows were fairly normal, stacked with a variety of food and goods.

 

What really drew your attention was the large empty space where the other half of the aisles used to be. Or it would have been empty however, if it wasn’t occupied by a massive pile of assorted items. The intimidating mound almost reached the ceiling, and every so often you noticed precariously balanced items making their way nosily down to the bottom of the heap. A strangled sound of surprise burst from your throat, causing Sans to look back at you in concern.

 

“* wh-” You interrupted him, already starting to sign in haste.

 

~What on earth is THAT?~

 

He followed your pointed finger to the heap. His malleable browbone raised in understanding, and he grabbed your outstretched hand to pull you over to it. Once you got closer, you began to pick out certain items. A nikon camera dangled by its strap from a dismantled plastic christmas tree. The ground was littered with chip bags and cleaning supplies. It was like someone up-ended an entire store on it’s head and poured it out carelessly.

 

“* this is the junk heap. you see, most of what we had of human artifacts came from whatever you guys dropped in the trash. books, toys, you name it. when we reached the surface, and found all of this… stuff lying around, we didn’t know what to do with it. hell, we didn’t even know what half of it was, and you guys were putting it on shelves next to perfectly good foodstuffs.”

 

For example, he held up a still inflated bag of half-air, half chips.

 

“* i’m sure alphys coulda helped, but she was real busy the first few months. undyne suggested we just pile it up here - that’s about her way of doing things.”

 

With a quiet scraping, Sans fished out a bean bag chair from the bottom of the pile. A bit of resistance sent a few books careening from the top of the pile, but he dodged them effortlessly before plopping down on the misshapen chair.

 

“* if you want, you can grab some stuff. It’s all really cheap, or free. no one knew how to price it.”

 

If you didn’t know any better, you would’ve thought that Sans was about to take a -

 

Nope. There he went.

 

Soft snoozing drifted over from where the short skeleton had almost been engulfed in fabric and filling. Feeling incredibly foolish, you started to root around in the bottom of the pile, which was mostly books and DVDs. Guess the monsters had only had VHS. You started a small stack over by the bean bag - mostly junk food, but a few books as well. You were trying to extract a particularly stubborn box of frosted flakes from beneath a floor lamp when you saw it.

 

It was a small black book with a textured cover, bound with a metal spiral. It had escaped the wrath of the heap and sat unharmed beside a pile of art supplies. Picking it up, you reverently ran your fingers over the cool pebbled front, thumbing through the blank pages inside.

 

When the monsters attacked, you had just finished your third year of art school. You had wanted to be a children's book illustrator one day, bringing your wildest ideas to life armed with your pencils and pens. There, next to that paint set - was that?

 

You shifted the sketchbook into one arm and grasped a long metal tin. Opening it, you revealed a set of beautiful colored pencils - the nice brand. You had always wanted these, but they’d been out of your budget. Holding your treasures to your chest, you meandered back to your small collection. Sans was awake, and watching you fondly - head rested on his hand as he lay belly down on the chair.

 

“* _hue_ look satisfied. in fact, you seem very _animated_ today. find some things?”

 

It took you a moment to notice his play on words, but once you did you couldn’t stop a hoarse laugh from escaping your throat. The lights in his eyes brightened noticeably, but he said nothing.

 

You stuffed your findings into a plastic basket you grabbed nearby, and the two of you strolled through the aisles. Papyrus hadn’t told you what he needed, but he ate a lot of pasta. You mentioned so to Sans, which he readily agreed to. So into the basket went a variety of noodles and sauces. You snuck a few things into the cart while Sans was occupied, including a couple rice meals and some instant mashed potatoes. A girl can only eat so much pasta after all.

 

By the time you made it up to the register, you had upgraded to a full cart in addition to your basket of treasures. The monsters had apparently not been able to adapt to the registers used for human money, because they were shoved to the side in lieu of good old fashioned cash boxes. While Sans paid, you helped put things in bags and balanced them one by one on your arms. Turning to see you practically buried under grocery bags, Sans smiled and took most of them onto his own forearms. He was much stronger than he looked, you thought shyly as he carted the bags around like they weighed almost nothing.

 

Even though the house was a few blocks away, you were relieved when Sans decided to walk instead of teleport. Your first time was enough to leave a bad taste in your mouth, and you weren’t looking forward to jumping into the void again anytime soon. By then, the sun had started to set, turning the weather from sticky heat to a bearable warmth. It was a quiet walk, with your hands trapped by the groceries. Sans walked quietly beside you, content with the comfortable silence that had fallen between you. The bags rustled against your dress, and occasionally bumped into the ones hanging from Sans’ arms. He had somehow managed to shift them so that he could keep his hands shoved into his pockets as he walked, Jacket sleeves bunched enough so that you could see the brilliant white of his ulna and radius. You studied them, noticing how they were much thicker than your own - creating the illusion of a solid arm.

 

You wondered what else about him was different. You could just see the curve of his teeth from where you had fallen slightly behind him. He somehow managed to talk without opening his mouth. You tried to think back if you had ever seen him open it.

 

Your face collided with the back of his shoulder when he stopped abruptly. Dazed, you stepped back and looked around. The brothers house stood to your right, the reason Sans had quit walking. Blood rushed to your face. You’d been so distracted thinking about his skeletal anatomy that you hadn’t even noticed where you were.

 

Luck was on your side today. He smiled strangely, but didn’t comment on your mishap. Using magic, he fished out his house key and unlocked the door.

 

Entering the front hallway, you immediately noticed the unnatural silence. By now, Papyrus was usually cooking dinner. Sans had also seemed to notice something amiss, dropping the bags in the foyer and moving quickly toward the kitchen. You had to speed walk to catch up.

 

“* Papyrus?” Sans called out. No answer. The kitchen was empty - looking untouched. There certainly wasn’t any sign of a scuffle.

 

You could tell Sans was getting agitated, pacing through the house and checking the rooms one by one. From what you could tell, everything was the same as you’d left it.

 

Except.

 

“Sans!” You didn’t bother to sign with him moving about the house so rapidly. He was at your side in a flash.

 

“* kitten?”

You handed him a piece of paper you’d found on the table. His eyes moved back and forth as he read, the tension draining from his body as he did so. When he was finished, he handed the folded paper back to you. Opening it, you saw a carefully written note, in ostentatious handwriting that screamed Papyrus. Literally. He wrote in all caps.

 

DEAREST BROTHER AND HUMAN,

 

I, THE GREAT AND LOVEABLE PAPYRUS, HAVE BEEN CALLED OVER FOR AN ANIME SLEEPOVER WITH ALPHYS AND UNDYNE. THAT SMALL ANNOYING CANINE THAT FOLLOWED US UP FROM THE UNDERGROUND STOLE MY PHONE SO I COULD REGRETFULLY NOT CONTACT YOU. I WILL BE BACK TOMORROW, SO DO NOT CRY.

 

HUMAN, PLEASE DO NOT LET MY BROTHER COOK. HE ALWAYS USES OUR KITCHEN TO MAKE STRANGE EGG BASED PIES. THERE IS LEFTOVER PASTA IN THE FRIDGE. I HOPE YOUR DAY WITH SANS WENT WELL.

 

YOURS FAMOUSLY,

PAPYRUS.

 

In case you weren’t positive it was him, he included a small doodle of his face below his signature.

 

With Papyrus gone, and the groceries put away, you and Sans decided to spend the rest of the evening watching TV. At your urging, you convinced him to turn the TV to one of your favorite channels, where a blonde haired human chef was screaming his head off at inadequate rookies for undercooking the chicken.

 

The couch comfortably sat three, and while you respectfully sat on the right edge, Sans plopped down dead center, arms spreading out lazily against the back of the couch. He didn’t seem to notice, or care, that your legs were practically almost touching. You weren’t sure why, but the prospect sent a shock of heat to your cheeks. It wasn’t like you were a very touchy-feely person in general, but this felt different. Like the entire left side of your body was hot and prickly and uncomfortable.

 

After a couple episodes, the feeling had mostly subsided, and you found yourself invested in the journeys of these horrible chefs.

 

And if your leg just so happened to bump against his a couple times, warm flesh touching warmer bone, you didn’t even notice.

 

At least not _much_.


	12. All Around The Mulburry Bush

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not updating for a bit! Work and freelance and packing to move back to NC is kickin my tailbone.
> 
> BUT! In more important news!! I got my first piece of fan art!! The lovely Cuteveila (@eatingtoomanycookies on tumblr) drew me not one - but TWO amazing drawings of events in KHWK!
> 
> Please go see their lovely work here, and shower them with praise! I'm so lucky to have such amazing supportive readers.
> 
> http://sinsational-sinnabon.tumblr.com/post/148594084156/eatingtoomanycookies-recently-found-the
> 
> Which makes me feel a bit bad for giving you this chapter *sweats* enjoyyyyyy

Your eyes snapped open, dilated pupils searching the room uselessly. It was black as pitch, heavy curtains blocking the moon from outside. The stench of musty covers and sweat clung inside your nostrils, dusty and thick and cloying. A great grandfather clocked started it’s ritualistic pronouncement of the hour, and each strike of the mallet against the bell sent a tendril of dread deep into your heart. The cool plaster of the wall cradling your back and left side gave you a false sense of security. There were people all around filling the small room wall to wall - sleeping innocent and unknowing; clinging to each other for warmth. You should be able to hear them. Your ears strained searchingly for the rustling of scratchy burlap blankets and breathing, but it was as if someone had muted the room like you would an undesired radio channel. The stifling absence of sound made it all the more nervous when someone opened the door to the room. A streak of muted light reached across the room for a moment, blocked by a figure making his way over the threshold.

 

No.

 

_No!_

 

It couldn’t be! He was gone. You had been freed from his torment over a month ago. Sans had- Where was he? Why? Why were you back here? You went to move, to run, to get away but your body betrayed you. Muscles froze quick with fear and you could only watch, horrified as your warden crossed the room. The black trails of his cloak fluttered and brushed against a couple faces as he hovered inches above them, and you willed them to notice, to wake up and rescue you. It was a foolish hope. That wasn’t how it went, not the first time, nor the second, nor countless nights after. They slept on undisturbed as he approached your corner of the room.

 

Dark tendrils unfurled themselves from his form and breached the final few feet between you. Your throat clenched with disgust as they left clammy cold trails on your skin. He wanted to fix you. He knew you _could_ speak - oh how you had screamed the first time he had done this. Wonderful shrill sounds that echoed against the walls. Only once had he had that pleasure; the first night you’d arrived the Ward. Then you’d stopped even that. You turned quiet, and nothing he could do could draw that fearful melody from your throat. There was something about you that enticed him. You weren’t the first human he had toyed with in his care, but you were certainly his favorite, as frustrating and resilient as you were. _____, his favorite toy.

 

The slick ribbons of his magic wrapped their way up your form, lingering in a mockery of affection on your hips and waist. You tried vainly again to struggle as the wet chill brushed against your throat. Sinuous coils around where your voice sat trapped below centimeters of flesh. Then higher. Closer. Tonguing your lips teasingly before pressing themselves inside forcefully, tasting murky and oily; blocking your airways. You tried to breathe but all that came out was a wet gurgle. Panic gripped you like a vice.

 

C..n b..the

 

_Ca..nt … br..the_

 

_I CAN’T BREATHE!_

 

 

* * *

 

 

A bloodcurdling scream echoed through the house, tearing the skeleton reclined on the couch forcefully from sleep. He rocketed up, sweat beading down his skull as tight lights searched the dark living room. The scream had come from upstairs, and he found himself on his feet and striding towards the guest room at the end of the hall before thinking twice about it.

 

You had drifted off in the middle of the 4th episode of Hell’s Kitchen, slumped against the side rest of the lumpy couch. He tried to turn his focus back to the angry human chef, but your presence kept pulling his attention. You’d looked so vulnerable in sleep, face relieved of all the worry and fear that settled under your skin. Something strange had stirred in his soul as he looked at you, a feeling that was new and foreign but not entirely unwelcome. A sort of protectiveness, like what he used to feel for Frisk - but different. You shifted, lips parting softly, and he felt his grin tighten imperceptibly. _Very_ different. Carefull not to rouse you, he gathered you up in his arms and carried you up to your room; lying you on top of the comforter and removing your collar to set it on the night stand.

 

He’d tried to sleep then, splayed ungainly on top of his bunched up sheets, but it wouldn’t come. His magic was still fizzing and sparking peculiarly. A frustrating couple of hours later, he stopped trying and teleported back down to the living room, muting the TV and flopping listlessly in the center of the couch. His eyes were wide and unfocused as he half-registered the moving pictures flit across the screen. While the cause was new, this part, where sleep escaped him into the creeping fingers of the morning - was all too familiar.

 

Time passed. It could’ve been minutes or hours later that he heard your cry from upstairs, breaking him out of the fitful sleep he had just settled into. His bare feet clacked against the wooden stairs as he took them two at a time in a quick stride. The doorknob flickered blue and the door flung open of it’s own accord, Sans tensing in anticipation of an unknown threat.

 

But the only one in the room was you. The bed was empty and it took him a few seconds to find you, shrunken in on yourself in the corner of the room. You were wedged in between the dresser and the wall, panicked eyes not recognizing him at first. The skeleton recognized your behavior for what it was, and cautiously made his way across the room, hands raised in a comforting gesture.

It’s safe, they said.

 

I’m here.

 

But whatever comfort he would have given was negated by the subject of your nightmares, and you could only cringe as your senses registered the presence of magic. Your legs scrambled against the floor as you tried to escape - mind confused and screaming to get away _getAWAY_ **_GETBACK!_ **

 

“* ...kitten?” His voice was hesitant, noticing your reaction to his approach. He didn’t stop, but moved even slower, as if he was approaching an injured animal.

 

“G-et back!” Your voice broke the cadence of your heavy breaths, soft at first but gaining fear-spurned confidence.

 

“D-don’t touch me! M-monster! You’ll hurt me!” Your hand instinctively lifted to protect your face, and a dim part of your mind notice that Sans flinched at the action. You could see him trying to remain calm, but your skin tingled at the residual magic in the air. The sides of his mouth pulled downwards in a pained grimace; the lights in his eyes flickering between dim and alert as his mind convinced itself that you weren’t a threat.

 

It was the nightmare taking, he told himself. You weren’t here right now. Steeling his nervous magic, he closed the distance between you and knelt in front of your trembling form, hands reaching. The paused as you flinched hard again, but continued to gently rest on your back and pull you into his arms. Warm hard bones made small circles into your back as you collapsed into wracking sobs. His touch brought you the rest of the way back from that dark place. A trembling hand reached for your collar for comfort, but finding nothing but bare skin, clenched onto the fabric of the skeleton’s hoodie.

 

You weren’t sure how long it took you to cry yourself out, eyes sore and muscles drained; but he stayed the entire time, wordlessly holding you and grounding you in this room, in this house. With him. He admitted that he was more rattled than he thought he’d be, and honestly you were helping him just as much as he had you. You weren’t just any human. He wasn’t just any monster.

 

 

You weren't **_them._ ** Sans wasn’t **_him._ **

 

 

He felt your hands pressing something into the side of his ribs, trembling in a repeated motion.

 

~I’m sorry~

 

~I’m sorry~

 

~I’m sorry~

 

For what? For being scared of him? It wasn’t like some part of him didn’t expect it, but the cold hard truth hurt more than he thought it would.

 

“* no, i’m sorry for scaring you.”

 

You shook your head against his collarbone. Sans focused on the new signs you were making, having to distinguish them by feel alone.

 

~Not you.~

 

~M..th..~

 

Your hands fumbled as they began to shake again. Your voice, rough from crying and muffled through fabric, tentatively addressed him.

 

“Mad-” You still couldn’t say his name. “The w-warden. N-nightmare”

 

His fingers dug into your spine as his grip tightened.

 

“* you mentioned something about that. did he…. hurt you?”

 

The way you trembled in his arms spoke volumes, and he had to work to quell the spike of cold fury that flashed through his marrow.

 

“H-he never hit me..” Sans stilled. “The o-others were always asleep. He only w-wanted me though. I was h-his favorite. H- I-it was so cold. I-It _hurt_.”

 

He was glad that the fur of his hood blocked your sight, that was your couldn’t see the way his right eye illuminated the far wall with a crackling cyan glow, the other devoid of light.

 

Monsters were supposed to be made of love, of hope, of compassion.

 

What had fucking happened to them; to make them think things like this were okay? Was this what happened when a weaker group was given power over another? Could it really corrupt so many monsters that quickly and thoroughly?

 

It could. It _had._

 

It made him sick.

 

“Sans?” Your soft voice calling for him snapped him out of it as you wiggled your way out of his grip. You looked better, more comforted - but definitely embarrassed. You wouldn’t meet his eyes, which he had willed back to normal. He hummed softly in response.

 

“Thank you..”

 

As he took you in, your face blotchy and eyes puffy from crying; looking at that moment so _broken_ he swore your soul could shatter with a single touch, he felt that fierce protective feeling once again surge in his chest.

 

Tomorrow, he was going to pay a visit to a certain ward in the east sanction of town. He was going to have a little _word_ with a certain someone about the acceptable treatment of humans - namely one.

 

In short -

 

Someone was going to get   **f u c k i n g   d u n k e d   o n**.


	13. Pop Goes The Weasel!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The dunkening. 
> 
> PS. I edited this chapter since I felt like I wanted to make it clearer of what exactly went on, and because I wasn't quite satisfied with the fight. If you don't read it again, you won't miss out on too much, but just letting my dear readers know!
> 
> My tumblr is here if any of you want to keep track of fic updates or just talk to me in general! I love hearing from you all, and I hope you are all enjoying the ride so far!
> 
>  
> 
>   
> <http://sinsational-sinnabon.tumblr.com>  
> 

After you’d been put back to bed, Sans hadn’t even bothered trying to get back to sleep. He stood guard outside your door, his feet wearing down a path on the hardwood as he paced restlessly. His magic was a hornet’s nest, deep in the center of his bones. Every so often, the hallway would be lit in a startling blue light as his eye pulsed.

 

He was being unreasonable.

 

He was letting his anger consume him. It unnerved him, as it was usually only when things came to Papyrus that he felt his ability to keep himself under control start to break. Pushing his emotions down below the surface was generally easy, but the pulsing anger was too strong. His magic had a mind of it's own in it's eagerness to avenge his human.

 

Why should he bother to reign it in? Madjick deserved this.

 

Dawn finally found him, the orange light casting the deep lines below his sockets in stark relief and giving him a haunted, harrow expression. The ward didn’t open until 9, and it was barely 7 am, by the looks of the rising sun through the windows set in the front of the house. But no matter. It was better that there were minimal witnesses. His hood was pulled up over his skull, and he had changed into a pair of long black sweats to hide his bones. Shoving his feet roughly into a pair of worn sneakers in the front doorway, he slipped his fingers between the fabric of reality and pulled.

 

_Blip!_

 

Sans couldn’t teleport unless he had a solid idea of where he was headed, so he was forced to emerge from his shortcut in the first place he’d seen you - the center of town - where the auction podium sat dead and empty in the early morning. He paused a moment to take in the sight; it wasn’t often that the town center wasn’t teeming with monsters, and seeing the deserted space set his teeth on edge. Raucous jeering cries and fearful whimpering echoed in his skull, the sight recalling memories from weeks before as clear as day. Crumpled paper littered the ground, the still morning air doing nothing to stir the dirtied pieces. Birds chirped a cheery tune to welcome the morning, sounding wrong considering the circumstances. As he turned towards the east part of town, rows upon rows of squat buildings and dilapidated houses, he felt his resolve wavering. He wasn’t a violent monster, and despite his anger last night, was dreading the confrontation he knew was to come. Even when the timelines had started to go bad, he had still preferred to wait in the shadows. He would watch the anomaly kill his friends, first with purpose, and later in a cold emotionless haze. He’d only stepped in when there was no other choice. Your teary voice, fresh from the night before, cut through the lingering memories and shot straight to his soul. Your sadness. Your fear. Your pain. He stood no chance against the human dead set on erasing the Underground; but this, at least, he could do.

 

This was for your sake. He wasn’t going to let Madjick get away with treating you - treating _anyone_ this way.  

 

Gritting his teeth, Sans carried on.

 

The east sanction was reserved for monsters who were less well off, or perhaps were just homesick for the rough and tumble conditions of most of the underground. When the humans lived here, it was primarily a warehouse district used for storing parts and supplies. These were easily transformed into the first human imprisonment camps, and later on, turned into Wards. Their grey concrete walls looked blueish black in the early light, and the way they jutted into the sky at angles resembled a row of tombstones. They all looked so much alike. You’d never told him the name of the center you’d come from, so he focused inward and tried to seek out the one clue you _had_ given him.

 

There it was. Each monster had a unique magical signature, and the cold dark essence of the monster he was targeting was easily picked up on. Being made of magic, every monster left behind a trail of magical residue. It wasn't a problem in the Underground, as monster to monster conflicts were few and far between. Their species had almost been eradicated entirely, and in a world where violence left a permanent marking on your very soul, it was an unforgivable act. It wasn't like they never got angry, but having their emotions so clearly on display also helped to solve disputes as soon as they started. Jealousy, greed, resentment - unless you were skilled at masking your soul, these were all on display for anyone to see. But these traits, if someone meant ill will, made monsters a very vulnerable target.

 

Adjusting his hood to make sure his skull was completely covered, he followed the trail through town. It weaved through dark alleys and behind buildings, marking where his target had last been. Rats chittered around his feet as he passed by a row of dumpsters. At last, the grungy building loomed threateningly in front of him, dark empty windows catching him in their piercing stare. There, on the second floor, one window where his target’s magic eddied and swirled. His soul seemed to pulse sluggishly in time with the miasma. Blue magic sparked tersely from his fingertips as he ripped another shortcut into the upstairs room.

 

A sparsely furnished bedroom greeted him as he stepped out of nothingness into the center of the room. A mahogany desk, littered with files, sat in the corner. The bed was shoved against the wall, a depressing steel contraption with a sagging mattress and thin sheets. But he couldn’t dwell long on his surroundings. The warden had been expecting him. Wide brimmed hat settled low over his head, he hovered a few feet in front of Sans, a nasty smirk gracing his visage. A glossy black orb drifted near Madjick's right side, the bright white ring in the center enlarging and contracting.

 

“Hoy!~ Mind explaining why I find you in my quarters in the early hours of the morning? And according to your magic, not on friendly terms either? I’m not sure I appreciate that.”

 

The other monsters magic was thick in the air, a chilling, depressing weight on his soul that tempted him to give in; to embrace the crippling depression that lingered under the surface of his center. Like an eager servant, it struggled to rise and connect with Madjicks power. He found himself struggling to think; struggling to talk.

 

Madjick's natural ability seemed to pull and enhance every doubt, every niggling bit of fear in the back of your mind until you could barely move. ‘* is this how she felt?’   

 

“* i know what you’ve been doing to your wards here madjick.” Sans could barely hide the blatant disgust that dripped from his tone. “* humans may not be protected by the law in that respect, but any monster with common decency would know what you’re doing is despicable!”

 

He was a bit thrown off when Madjick seemed unphased by the fact that he’d just been called out on assaulting his wards. In fact, the grin on his face hiked even higher as the skeleton talked. His orb bounced in the air in mirth. There was a beat of silence in the air before the hovering spectre responded, tone silky and smooth - practiced.

 

“And who would you be then? To know these things about me when I don’t even know your name?” A second black orb silently winked into existence in the corner of the room nearest to Sans, just out of his peripheral vision. The skeleton sensed the fluctuation in magic and spun, but it was too slow. The new sphere sparked, and with barely any warning, Sans felt a heavy hard object ricochet off his ribcage and send him slamming against the door of the bedroom. His hood fell back and he landed painfully on his tailbone, causing him to grunt in pain.

 

HP 0.8 / 1

 

Shit. Not good. He hadn’t been prepared. A trickle of sweat tickled the side of his skull as he watched his HP drop incrementally.

 

HP 0.7 / 1

 

HP 0.6 / 1

 

It stopped, and Sans huffed in relief. He couldn’t let himself get hit again or it would all be over. He kept his legs steady as he got to his feet, keeping a sharp eye on Madjick and both ofhis orbs now. He was so stupid - of course there was two! They must have been following him on his way to the warehouse, picking up on the magic he hadn't even bothered to hide. He'd led himself into a trap. While he had no idea of Madjick's abilities, his adversary had been watching him teleport, and getting a read on his strengths.The monster in question was staring at him intently, orbs sparking with recognition.

 

“Oh NOW I recognize you! You were the well off ashole who bought that disgusting defect at the auction! You paid too much you know - I never was able to get much of a reaction out of her.”

 

A spike of anger. He was light on his feet as he bounded towards the dark figure. Small sharpened spears of bone thudded into the wall and floors, his magic shooting out an attack in spite. Madjick dodged them all, muttering mirthfully in an unrecognizable language. Another spark, and an arsenal of glowing crosses accosted Sans- from the right orb this time. Prepared this time, he sidestepped them all deftly; sneaker squeaking on the smooth concrete floor. He knew Madjick was just trying to get a rise out of him, and as much as he hated to admit it - it was working.

 

“* don’t talk about her that way!”

 

His left pupil flared into the cyan beam that signified his magic. Excess escaped in wispy tendrils that curled against the ceiling. He felt his special type of magic - blue magic - seep into his own soul. Gravity increased and cemented him to the ground, holding him steady as he unleashed another row of jagged femurs with a flair of his hand. Most of them missed, but one tore a scrap of fabric out of whatever dark material Madjick's cloak was made of - pinning it against the far wall. While Sans relished in his small moment of victory, he once again missed the absence of one of the other monsters orbs. It winked into place directly in front of him. His feet still weighted with gravity, he tried and failed to distance himself, instead tripping clumsily and scrabbling backwards on the floor. He released his magic and hurried to his feet, but he had run out of room to escape. He felt the scratchy wallpaper through the fabric of his jacket, splinters biting into his scapula. The chaser orb dissapated, but Madjick wasn't much farther away, taking his orbs place in his advance.

 

“Hee Hee Hee~ Was that a sore point? Have you forgotten that these are the creatures that killed us, that imprisoned us!? Don’t be tricked by their feigned empathy - it’s all a trick. They’re empty. We deserve this power over them.”

 

He drifted closer, Sans backed up against a wall. He concentrated his magic at the tips of his phalanges, preparing to teleport to safety. But before he could slip his hands between the layers of space, he felt something cold and slippery weave in between his ulna and radius, tugging his arm roughly behind him and toward the floor. With a cry, Sans toppled painfully to his knees. He could feel the bone scrape and chip even cushioned by the thin material of his sweats. Another dark ribbon snagged his other arm, fixing it behind him as well and leaving the skeleton helpless. Madjick leaned down inches from Sans’ skull, and it unnerved him to see that the light cast from his eye just seemed to be absorbed into the uncanny darkness of the monster’s form. From here, he could see beneath the brim of his hat; revealing two deep deep wrinkled pits where a creature's eyes had any right to be. He found himself unable to look away from those unnerving holes in the monster's face.

 

“Or maybe… maybe you’re jealous? That I got to your _pet_ and broke her down before you could have fun with her. I wonder if you’ve even tried a human yet? It’s quite exhilarating~”

 

“* bullshit! i- there’s no way i’d do something like that.”

 

Madjick tilted his head curiously.

 

“No? You’ve never been… curious?”

 

_The sensation of your hands running down the back of his ribcage, cushioned through several layers of fabric. His soul had stuttered - it took all of his concentration to keep focused on his transaction. The lines you’d drawn for your sign branded his bones for a long while after, the feeling replaying over and over in his head as the day wore on._

 

“You’ve never realized how soft they can be?”

 

_His fingers had brushed against your neck as he slipped the collar on for the first time. Your skin was warm, the blood under the surface pressing against his fingertips. It was softer than anything he’d ever felt before in his life. Sweat beaded his skull as he finished fastening the collar as quickly as he could and pulled his hands away._

 

“What curious sounds they make?”

 

_The first time he’d heard your voice. How it was melodic and struck a chord straight into his soul. He thought he’d be more than content with your sign language, but after you’d spoken, he realized that he’d do just about anything to hear that sound again._

 

"I think you and I are more similar than you think. Forget about trying to be everyone's _friend_. Take what you deserve from them. Power, Revenge! Pleasure." 

 

“* no!.... i mean….no? i-i’m not like you!”

 

Sans felt his anger dissolving, fear rising and guilt pouring into a heavy pit where his stomach would be. He felt slightly nauseous, struggling to keep his breathing even. It came in hasty shallow gasps as he felt panic rising in his soul. Not here! Not now! He had to focus!

 

“You _are_ attracted to your human. I can see it in your eyes. Don’t deny it.”

 

Was that… was that what this was? The way his body and soul reacted whenever you were around? Could he…. be attracted to you like that? Well, now that he thought about it, the clear answer was that he could and was. But _should_ he be? Wouldn’t that make him just as fucked up as all those other monsters who took humans in for those purposes? His soul quivered in self-disgust.

 

No! It was… it was more than that though. Right?

 

Shaking his head roughly to clear it, he felt his eye blaze up again; his soul casting a bright light on the inside of his ribs. His magic weighed hot and metallic on top of Madjicks’ as it rapidly filled the room. His arms may be trapped, but he wasn’t so much of a _bone_ head to not have another trick up his sleeve. Specks of bone coalesced and solidified into two hulking shapes on either side of him. Empty sockets wide and staring, a pair of canid skulls appeared in the air and pointed their open maws at Madjick, who leaped back in clear surprise. But it wasn’t quick enough. White beams of pure energy crackled through the air and swallowed the monster up in their flare. The lasers dissolved his form like a fire would eat ravenously through paper, blasting right on through to eat large holes in the outer wall of the ward. The filaments of magic holding him hostage dissolved as what was left of Madjick turned to dust on the floor.

 

Sans stared down at the pile of silky dust that had just a second ago been another monster. The lights in his eyes had disappeared completely. He... he hadn't meant to kill him. He was scared, and trapped, and panicked and -

 

 _Hurk!_ He felt his jaw creak open of it's own accord as he curled over, retched bright viscous magic onto the floor. It tasted metallic and clouded his senses with the sharp scent of ozone, too concentrated. He felt his magic heave again, but managed to keep it down.

 

He’d won. 

 

His victory was hollow. Even though the depressing magic that was his enemy’s had dissipated, he could still feel ghostly tendrils of guilt curl through his ribs and settle like snakes around his soul. As he quaked and shuddered his way into a standing position, using the wall for support, he could hear the rest of the Ward rousing. They would come any minute, but by the time they burst through the door of the upper bedroom, and saw the Warden’s dust drifting across the crater ridden floor - Sans would be long gone.

 

 


	14. London Bridge Is Falling Down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For any of my readers who don't follow my tumblr, I recently moved back home after graduating from college. As you can imagine, this has been quite a stressful shift in my life and I hate that I have not been able to update this until now. Not a very plot heavy chapter, but now that I'm settled in, things should return back to a semi steady updating schedule!
> 
> As usual, my tumblr is http://sinsational-sinnabon.tumblr.com where I post what's goin on, any fanart I get and such! :) Also where I reblog a bunch of UT stuff.

Ever since your nightmare, Sans had been… distant.

 

Overnight, an intimidating wall had sprung up between you, leaving you to wonder what could have possibly gone wrong. He would barely meet your eye at breakfast, and didn’t even fake a grin when you attempted at egg-related wordplay. There were deep dark circles under his sockets, and although he tried to hide it, you could notice his hands trembling slightly as he held his fork, which clattered lightly against the porcelain plate. Even Papyrus seemed to sense something was off, and shot you several concerned glances which you responded to with a helpless shrug. You wanted to hope that something else had happened in Sans’ life to cause such an abrupt turn, but the way that he stiffened when he accidentally brushed against you while getting drinks, and how he made himself scarce directly after clearing his plate practically screamed that it was your fault.

 

The day dragged on excruciatingly. Sans skipped work, but shut himself into his room as the sun made it’s way across the sky. Anxiety consumed you as you fidgeted your way around the house. The comforting feel of cool metal and warm leather calmed you down a little as you played with your collar, but not enough. Your normal TV shows couldn’t hold your attention, and you tried to clean so much that Papyrus had to kindly shoo you away from the kitchen; you were interfering with his habitual cleaning routine. It was obvious the younger brother could tell you were out of sorts as well, but thankfully he didn’t ask. You didn’t want to have to explain that you’d treated Sans as some sort of terrifying nightmare when he was just trying to comfort you the night before.

 

He probably thought you were scared of him. You’d treated him like some sort of… _monster._

 

Hell, not too long ago, you were - you admitted ruefully. Things were just starting to get better, and here you were ruining everything. The other day at the market went so well, and you felt like you were starting to really get to know Sans better.

 

The market! A faint grin pulling at the corners of your mouth, you rushed upstairs to your room, slowing to cast a worried look at the closed door beside yours where your skeletal housemate had been for hours now.

 

Should you….?

 

Nah, you’d probably just make things worse. Sighing quietly, you gently closed your door and dug into the plastic bags that sat neglected on your dresser. Pushing aside a variety of snacks, you pulled out the sketchbook and pencils you had found in the heap. Whenever you’d felt bad in the past, drawing had always helped take your mind off things. Making yourself comfortable against the hard wooden headboard of your bed, you opened the book to the first unmarked page, breathing in the crisp scent of new paper. The colored pencils were just as satisfying, a rainbow of waxy smelling sticks that were untouched and filled with possibility. The sensations brought back memories of long sunny afternoons drawing in the park, calming your pulse and softening your gaze as you picked up a pencil - a cool pthalo blue - and draw it across the slightly toothy paper.

 

You didn’t have any reference, but you had enough mental imagery of the skeleton taking form on the page that you felt you were better off without. It wasn’t that you planned to draw him, but it was usually the thing dwelling most on your mind that made itself at home on your page.

 

The first few sketches were rough and quick, poses he often assumed around the house: Nestled in the arm of the couch; or slumped back in his chair at the table. The waxy tip paid loving attention to the details of his skull and the folds of his jacket. Before you knew it, you had entered into your own little world, and time passed inconsequently hour to hour. As the first page bled onto the next, you had started to take more time on your drawings - capturing the quirky grin he had given you from his bean bag chair at the market, and after, the strangely closed off way he’d looked all morning. A small distracted frown settled on your features as you outlined his tired eyes and dim pupils.

 

He didn’t look… mad, exactly. Tired, definitely; But there was an expression you couldn’t quite place that made you feel uneasy.

 

You weren’t in much of a drawing mood anymore.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Sans sat on his unmade bed, back against the wall in the pitch dark room; dark as his sockets that stared listlessly at the opposite wall.

 

He could feel himself falling into the same habits that had consumed him back in the underground: locking himself away from you and Papyrus in hopes that he wouldn’t trouble you with his fragile state of mind. He was here, but he also wasn’t, his mind playing on repeat the events from early morning, dwelling on the complicated feelings that still buzzed around his ribcage like angry flies. He could hardly down his breakfast earlier; the acrid taste of bile and magic tainting the flavor of over easy eggs - his favorite.

 

It wasn’t like Madjick had been his first kill… or his second… or third even. The others though were distant memories, flashes that consumed him for a while, but never this vividly or effectively. Killing _them_ had been difficult, but by then in those timelines loss had dulled him. Madjick had… deserved it, he ground out, but it didn’t make the mark it made on him any shallower. Now there was no separating now from then. The Sans from then, and the “him” from now were both capable of killing. They both had to carry that weight. They both had LOVE.

 

Every so often, he would pull his soul out past his sternum, trying to find something different, some sort of tangible change that told of his misdeeds. But although the familiar heavy weight of EXP was there, his soul shone the same as usual, the upside down heart spiraling lazily between his cupped hands.

 

Disappointing.

 

He would have felt better if there _was_ a difference, but no, this was just another secret to add to the growing pile that he stored deep deep down, along with the resets and the times he’d had to kill out of necessity. Something else that he could never tell his brother. Something else that would haunt whatever small vestiges of sleep he still managed to get.

 

Worry fluttered in the back of his skull. This wasn’t a doomed timeline. What he did this time was unfixable - the resets were over. Someone could find him… and if they did -

 

Well, he doubted that it would go over smoothly. How could he risk Papyrus like that? He was so damn _stupid!_

 

He could hear you pass by his door and he shoved his soul back into his chest just in time, dimming the room once more. If only that were his only problem, and a big problem it was.

 

He was also having a hard time coming to terms with what he’d realized about you. Although it despaired him to admit it, there were some threads of truth in what Madjick had said to him, and the result had him avoiding eye contact with you all morning. Every time your eyes had met his own, filled with worried curiosity, his soul had recoiled as if it had been branded. Disgust flooded him a bit later, when his arm had brushed yours and his magic had flared eagerly in response. Every circumstance reminded him that he and your assaulter had something in common - a shared link that connected his interest with the subject of your trauma.

 

The worst part was, he missed those feelings. Now that he was aware of it, forcefully keeping himself away from you was leaving an aching absence inside his soul.

 

‘* it’s better this way. this _cannot_ be a thing. i won’t let it. i refuse to hurt her any more than she already has been.*

 

Sans needled the chips left in his patella, the sharp sparks of pain cutting through the dull numbness he tried to keep himself from completely falling into. He would have to wear sweats for a while to hide the marks from the both of you until they healed, but for now, the pain was a nice reminder. He could still recall the feeling of dust ground into the underlying layers of bone - it had taken a lot of painful scrubbing to get all of it out of the wound. The clothes, including his favorite sneakers, had been burned out back in an effort to throw off anyone attempting to track him down.

 

How long until he could safely return to work? What would happen if they tracked him down?

 

As if in response, a loud knock sounded from the front door downstairs, followed by the sound of his brother opening it to greet whoever had knocked. He couldn’t make out any of their conversation, but it wasn’t long after that he heard Papyrus’s footsteps climbing the stairs, and felt his magical presence outside his door.

_Shit._

 

“Sans? There's a couple members of the Royal Guard Canine Unit in our living room. They would like to speak with you!”


	15. Three Blind Mice, See How They Run?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to make this chapter even longer, but I felt like you guys could use some relief after the angst I've put ya through lately!
> 
> These chapters look so much longer when I write them on drive, but this is still one of my longest chapters, so hopefully you all enjoy!
> 
> It feels really good to be back writing again - I missed you guys!
> 
> As usual, my tumblr is <http://sinsational-sinnabon.tumblr.com>! Follow for updates on the fic, my life, my UT art and mostly sans reblogs!

The door creaked slightly as you peered out, interested in what was going on. Something about the royal guard? Why would they be here?

 

Papyrus was standing anxiously outside of Sans’ door, wringing his bare hands noisily. He was wearing a bright yellow apron that would’ve looked ridiculous on anyone but him; he must’ve been in the middle of cooking dinner. After a moment of pointed silence on the other side of the door, he frowned and half lifted a hand to knock again, only to hesitate and let it fall back against his sternum.

 

“Y-You must be getting ready. I'll tell them that you'll be out in a moment.”

 

Worry still twisting his features, he retreated back down the steps, where you could hear him converse with the serious sounding guards. They were too far away to hear clearly, but you caught several words.

 

“Urgent.”

 

“Matter of great importance.”

 

Whatever it was, you hoped it didn’t have anything to do with you. As far as you were aware, you had been following the Laws to a T. The last thing you wanted to do was get the brothers in any trouble after they had been so nice to you. You were just about to close the door when you caught movement out of the corner of your eye.

It was Sans. His door had opened just a crack, his eyelights frantically scanning the hallway before he poked his head out of the opening. Luckily your door was closed enough that he couldn’t see you watching him, and left you free to spy.

 

If you thought he was acting strange before, it was nothing compared to the trembling mess that had just stepped out into the hall, back flush against his door which he re-latched silently. His pupils were small and bright, burning holes in the carpet that marked the top stair. His smile was contorted into a tight grimace, sockets wide. He looked… scared? No, not scared. Saying the skeleton before you looked scared was like saying that a hurricane was nothing more than a light breeze. He looked terrified - almost paralyzed by a primal fear.

 

It wasn’t until you felt the air shift around you, filling your nostrils with the sharp smell of burning ozone that you figured out what he was planning to do. You’d only done it once before, but you were sure you recognized the way his hands felt around the empty space in front of him, as if he was searching for something.

 

There! The tips of his phalanges disappeared into emptiness and his left eye burst into bright blue fire.

 

Your body moved without prompting, wrenching the bedroom door open before flinging yourself into the hallway. For a split second, you could actually see the rip Sans had made in the fabric of reality; a sliver of impossible darkness, before you met his eye, flickering cyan and piercing. His still visible hand stretched out in your direction, although whether it was a gesture for you to stay away or him reaching out for you you couldn’t tell. Either way, it was for this arm you aimed for, throwing your body weight into getting to him in time.

 

Things seemed to move in slow motion. The feeling of flesh touching bone as your fingers closed around his wrist. The way your momentum should have sent you both tumbling, but your bodies stayed suspended in mid air. Shadows crept around your vision as the rip in space grew to accommodate the two of you. Darker, yet darker, the hallway dissolving grotesquely until you were surrounded by the frigidness of the void.

 

If your fingers numbed until they felt like ice, or hulking white objects moved in the emptiness around you, or the shift that settled just underneath your navel and tugged was a hundred times stronger than last time, you hardly noticed.

 

All you could see was blue.

 

 

* * *

 

 

He had to get away. That notion consumed him as he heard his brothers steps fade down the staircase and back to the living room. His senses were on high alert, shrugging on his jacket and peering out a sliver of open door. A quick scan of the area told him that he was alone. This was his mistake, and there was no way he was going to let anything happen to his brother or you.

 

It was better if he disappeared.

 

They would come after him and leave you alone.

 

What happened to him was of no consequence.

 

You’d be _safe_.

 

The word, reassuring and heavy, echoed in his mind as he slipped into the hallway and searched wildly for a notch in space that he could rip open. He cursed his trembling body, his bones clattering softly. Ah! Found it! He felt temperature less than most, consisting of magic and marrow and bone, but even still he could feel the glacial temperature cut straight to his core, seeping away any semblance of warmth.

 

This wasn’t like his usual trips. He didn’t have a set destination, and he certainly didn’t have a clear control over his magic to protect him from the freezing cold. There was no telling where he’d end up, if he even made it out of the void in one piece. It didn’t matter.

 

Until.

 

He had already set his magic into motion when he noticed you launch yourself out of your room, in a dead run towards him. As he met your eyes, wide and fearful, he could clearly sense your intent to stop him. He reached out to ward you off. But it was too late.

 

The void swallowed you both whole, indifferent to whom its maw took in, gaping and hungry. Without the protection of his magic, he could almost feel it trying to pull him apart, worming it’s way between every atom and pulling in every direction. But he was frozen.

 

All he could see was you.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Light. Heat. Motion. Air. Eyes snapped open and gazed unseeingly at the sky above before you rolled over onto your side and emptied the contents of your stomach. You could feel yourself shivering violently, freezing despite the temperate evening air around you. Slowly, your senses took inventory of where you were. Grass, prickly on your skin and acidic in your nostrils, mixing with the scent of your sickness. Blink once. Twice. Blurry colored shapes rearranged themselves into a copse of trees, bark almost purple in the fading light. Cracked branches lay around you. Your ears, which you hadn’t noticed were ringing until just now, started to pick up noises: the breeze in the leaves, and to your left, a baritone voice groaning quietly. Sans! Your memories came rushing back as you sat up quickly, empty stomach lurching several times in complaint.

 

You had teleported. To where you had no idea. You remembered falling. Branches breaking. You must have come out above the tree level, you concluded, glancing upward at the swath of destruction you’d left coming down. Looking around, it didn’t take you long to find Sans. He was lying a few feet away, for all intent looking dead if not for the low pained groans you could hear coming from him. Limbs shaky, you crawled over to him and turned him over. There was a large, brightly glowing puddle of _something_ beside his head that burned your nose. Small drops of magic residue dripped from Sans’ empty sockets and from his mouth - which was, to your utmost surprise, open. It wasn’t the time nor place to be curious, but even so you took a moment to marvel at how his apparent grin pulled apart to reveal two rows of teeth, sharp canines punctuating the top and bottom. You used the hem of your dress to clean him the best you could, cradling his skull in your lap.

 

Was he… okay?

 

It took several agonizing minutes for him to come to, eyelights flickering to life like a broken christmas light that just needed a slight turn. They were still dim, but they immediately sought you out, trembling hands touching any part of you he could reach.

 

“* heh.” A puff of heated air escaped from between his teeth. His whole body seemed to slump with relief, sockets drifting closed and mouth closing back into his trademark grin, front canines slipping into well concealed notches in the bottom of his mouth.

 

You papped his face gently.

 

“No sleeping!” Your voice was rough but firm. He responded instantly, one eye opening on command.

 

“* not sleeping. just happy you’re alright. that was really stupid you know. you could’ve..” His grin faltered, not wanting to finish the thought out loud, as if scared voice would give it substance.

 

Now that he was looking, you went back to signing with still shaky hands.

 

~The way you looked, back there - I wasn’t sure if you’d be coming back… I wasn’t letting you go alone.~

 

The way his eyelights shifted away from yours imperceptibly told you all you needed to know.

 

~Why were you running? Does it have something to do with why those guards were here?~

 

You could feel him tense in your lap, eyes regaining that slightly manic look. He sat up and made to move away from you, but a hand around his wrist made him pause. He didn’t wrench it away, but he wouldn’t look at you either.

 

“Sans?...”

 

His voice was quiet and unsteady.

 

“*i.. i did something bad. like, really _really_ bad.”

 

Prompting him to go on, you starting rubbing small comforting circles into the distal bones of his wrist.

 

“*after you had your nightmare, i got angry.” You tensed. “*no! Not at you-” He quickly amended. “*at… y’know. he had hurt you - was still hurting you. i couldn’t just stand by, i needed to do something.”

 

You didn’t like where this was going. Unease simmered low in your belly, much like the nausea from minutes ago.

 

“*he… he was easy to track down, but he saw me coming. i didn’t mean to do it, kit. i was just going to…. honestly i don’t know what but not _that_. he had me pinned and i was furious and scared and i panicked. I killed him kit! ‘nd the worst part is is that i’m no better than he is!” His voice grew louder as he spoke, almost yelling as he finished. His chest was heaving and you could see the faint blue light his eye was casting on the ground and the trees closest to you.

 

So that was it then. Your tormentor was… dead. Hearing it from Sans cemented it into reality, sending a disgusting mix of grief and guilt that you knew he didn’t deserve into your breast.

You could feel your hand quivering, but you staunchly refused to let go of Sans, worried that he’d teleport again. You wouldn’t let your fear of Sans, and in that moment you _were_ scared of him, overtake you. He was powerful. He had killed someone. That someone may have been the cause of your nightly terrors, but he had still been _someone_ . Your mind struggled to process just how you felt about it, and longer your silence hung in the muggy air, the stiffer the skeleton in front of you became. You.. you didn’t know _how_ to feel. Realistically, you should feel some sort of sadness at death right? So why was all you felt relief?

 

Sans’ voice broke the quiet tension.

 

“*i understand if you hate me no-”

“What do you mean you’re no better than he is?”

 

You felt him flinch in your grasp. It felt like you were holding onto some desperate animal stuck in a hunter’s trap. A quiet rattling let you know that he was trembling again - it was getting almost to dark to see whatever his eye wasn’t illuminating.

 

“*kit…”

 

His voice sounded so broken that you felt your heart drop in response. What did he mean?

 

“*i tried not to, i really did. but my body… my soul… won’t stop reacting when you’re around. i find myself wanting to… touch you. for you to touch me.” Sans was even more adamant about not meeting your gaze at this admission. His face burned. He couldn’t stand the look of disgust, or worse, fear that he was sure would be there. “*the vendor at the park, madjick, they all keep telling me it’s normal, but i don’t want to be like them. the last thing i want is to hurt you.”

 

You were glad he wasn’t looking at you, as everything from your collarbone upward felt flush with embarrassment. He was saying he was… attracted to you? Suddenly, it clicked. The fond glances, his fierce protectiveness, the way he seemed to cherish your company lately; you’d mistaken it for more of his weird quirks, writing it off as impossible, but apparently he’d been struggling with this for a while.

 

Fear banished, you tugged him back into your arms. His left eye flickered out in surprise, replaced by bright white pinpricks. You hugged him tightly to you, even more relief flooding your body as your fear that you had somehow upset him was put to rest.

 

“Sans… You will _never_ be like them. Ok? The fact that you care about not hurting me should be enough for you to see that you are nothing like Madjick.”

 

You felt him let go in your arms, collapsing into them like his hypothetical muscles dissolved away. His skull rest against your shoulder heavily, breathing in your scent and trying to sort through and banish the mishmash of emotions that were still battling in his ribcage. His first instinct was still to pull away, to reject the warmth spreading through him at your touch, but he resisted. Now you knew. You knew and you were still here. Still his.

 

And for one second, even though troubles and dangers were still breathing down your necks, rampant and quickly approaching in the darkness, you just let it be.

 

It’s okay. I’m here. Just breathe.

 

 


	16. Hark Hark The Dogs Do Bark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp. Not much to say about this besides I hope you guys like what I have planned for the rest of this story. It's all outlined, so everything should fit together in the end. Trust in your faithful author to hopefully be able to handle this doozy of a plot.
> 
> *bows* I humbly offer to you my tumblr, where I reblog any undertale things that I find interesting, many sans sins, and updates concerning my stories. Feel free to ask me any questions about my works or otherwise there! I don't bite! <http://sinsational-sinnabon.tumblr.com>

 

The moment between you lasted shorter than you would have liked, Sans sighing contentedly and pulling back after a few seconds. Grasping his hand in yours, the two of you helped each other to your feet and brushed off the loose dirt and grass that clung to your clothes. Your head was still reeling from everything he had told you, but there was no time to dwell on it now. That was something better spoken about later, maybe ya know, when you weren’t being chased by fanged beasts. Wide open maws, dripping red and filled with jagged teeth, painted an uneasy picture in your mind.

 

Sans seemed to share your sentiment, although you were sure he knew your pursuers a bit better - whether that made your situation better or worse was unclear.

 

“* we better get going. the canine unit is excellent at tracking, and it’d be a doggone shame if they found us without a good chase at least.”

 

You were glad he was joking again, but there was a poorly hidden tension behind the smile he shot you. So it wasn’t a matter of _if_ they found you, but _when_. Your legs had stopped trembling, fully recovered from the disastrous trip through the void, but even so you kept your fingers interlocked with the skeleton beside you. The smooth warm texture of his bones grounded you, and you could really use it in the challenges ahead. A warm breeze whispered hushed threats through the leaves as your weak eyes tried to make heads or tails of the now dark treeline. No lights- you realized. You must be on the outskirts of town, in the forest somewhere.

 

You said as much, and Sans was appreciative of your in depth knowledge of the town. He gave your hand a small squeeze before starting off in a random direction that he was sure was “away from Overground” at least, judging by the way the tangle of magical signatures that made up it’s citizens slowly faded away, leaving only the sounds and smells of the forest. Even you could start to tell after a while. The wilderness around you only seemed to get darker and more threatening. Animals sounded territorial cries from around you, sounding like they could be mere feet away. Sans was scared too, if the stiff way he gripped you was any indication.

 

You kept scanning the underbrush, wary of every rustle and twitch you could make out. Was that a pair of eyes, peering from behind a tree? Or just a reflection from the moon in a shallow puddle? Either way your mind found a way to make the most miniscule of things into cold shocks of fear that rushed down your spine.

 

Ironically, there wasn’t a single sight or sound that betrayed the arrival of the royal guard. You had stopped momentarily to catch your breath in a small clearing, and silent as the night, a pair of towering shadows materialized from between the trees. Their snouts were contorted in a snarl, their teeth gleaming faintly in the moonlight. A large paw snatched at your upper arm, calloused pads scratching at your skin as you were tugged away from Sans and pinned at the waist by a furry arm as big around as a thick branch. From this close up, you could clearly see your attackers. Spacious black robes covered the majority of their bodies, only their muzzles, forearms, and tails left exposed. What fur you could see, though painted by the dusk, was white and luxurious.

 

Spun around by you being pulled from his grip, Sans faced the dogs. You were sure his vision was about as useful in the dark as yours, but even still, you could see his sockets widen, and the lights within them brighten with recognition. His voice as well was plain with surprise.

 

“* dogamy? dogaressa?”

 

Identified, they straightened to their impressive full height; reaching up to pull back the hoods that concealed their faces. You expected bloodlust, but strangely, all you could see in their faintly glowing eyes was annoyance.

 

The one holding you spoke up. From their tone, you guessed they were female.

 

“Was all this really necessary Sans? As we told Papyrus, we just wanted to talk wi-”

 

Sans interrupted boldly, taking a brave step in Dogaressa’s direction. Although his white eyes were focused on her golden ones, he kept glancing at you- gauging if you were unharmed.

 

“* cut the shit. i know you’re here because of what i did at the ward. you two can pick up a scent a week old and my magic was all over that site.”

 

The other canine, who must have been Dogamy, chimed in.

 

“You’re right. We’re here about Madjick. The Queen herself sent us to track down whoever dusted him and take care of it, but you need to listen.”

 

“* why should i? there’s nothing to say - just… “ He gestured angrily at you, voice dropping into a threatening growl. “* give her back. she’s got nothing to do with this!”

 

A feminine voice sounded from behind and above you.

 

“It has everything to do with her actually. Sans, calm down-”

 

Manic, Sans paced anxiously back and forth; too wary to advance with his low HP, yet not willing to retreat to safety without you with him.

 

“* i will _not_ calm down! you _can’t_ take her away! arrest me, dust me, whatever - just please bring her back to my place. papyrus will take care of her. i’ve known you two my whole life. do me this one favor okay?”

 

By now the anger had drained from his voice and he was practically pleading, pupils almost disappearing in his sockets.

 

The overly dog-like huff would have been humorous in another situation, but all you could feel right now was afraid for Sans. Why wasn’t he trying to fight back? Or run? Anything?! You squirmed uselessly in Dogaressa’s firm grip, but it was like iron.

 

“For Asgore’s sake. Restrain him please dear.” Dogamy closed the space between him and Sans in a couple loping strides and hefted him up by his waist, the small skeletal form slumping compliantly in his grip. If going quietly gave him a better chance at getting you released, he would do it.

 

Lifting you as easily as one would a small child, the guard member approached Sans. Keeping an unyielding grip on you, she managed to kneel down until her snout was level with Sans’ nasal cavity. You could see him flinch when the her hot breath hit his skull. Voice exasperated, she addressed him.

 

“We are _not_ here to arrest you, or kill you. Your servant is safe, we mean her no harm, and if you listen, she will be returned to you. Understand, you brave, stubborn bonehead?”

 

You could hardly believe what you were hearing. They planned to let you go? What in the hell was going on here?! 

 

Sans looked rightly chastised, and fairly foolish for his outburst towards the two guards. Close enough to touch him from where you were pinned to Dogaressa's waist, you lightly brushed your fingers against his arm in reassurance.

 

“* o-oh." His expression was torn between still suspicious and more than a bit confused. "* why the hell were you tracking us down in the middle of the night then?”

 

The tension seemed to drain from the air, Dogaressa pulling her muzzle into a grin and Dogamy lowering Sans so that his feet once again touched the forest floor.

 

“You were the one that ran away, remember? Although considering what you thought we’d come to do, it’s understandable.” She sat with a thump on the ground, tail unconsciously waving to and fro, clearing the area behind her of leaves and debris.  

 

“Now. After searching the crime scene, we have enough evidence to believe that although yes - you were certainly the one to dust Madjick- that there was quite the fight before the final blow was dealt.” She tapped her black, wet looking nose. “Although our noses are top notch in tracking, we are also very good at sniffing out information. Some of the other wardens at this particular establishment expressed… concerns with some of Madjicks behaviors with his wards.”

 

Neither of the dogs were smiling anymore. Even though the night was warm, you couldn't stop shivering. Dogaressa's grip tightened again, but instead of restraining, the intent behind it seemed to be to comfort you. Reminded of your neighbors pet labrador, you found your fingers stroking the soft fur of her arm. She hummed quietly and nuzzled her large fluffy muzzle into the top of your head.

 

“I’m disgusted that no one’s looked into it before now, but I suppose we certainly won’t have to worry about him in the future.”  It was strange hearing details of your abuse talked about so candidly, alongside with the fact that the warden was now in fact - dead. Sans’ eyes flashed with concern and regret, and you sent him a small smile in return, trying to reassure him that you were alright. Dogaressa turned her attention to you now.

 

“You came from that sector - correct? Was Madjick your primary Warden?” The way she asked, it was evident she already knew the answer, but you found your head bobbing in agreement anyway.

 

“Sans. The questions I am going to ask you next are very important. Don’t feel like you need to hide anything; we are outside the law here. Understand?”

 

You could tell he was hesitant, but he nodded nonetheless.

 

 

“Legally and monetarily, this girl here is registered as your human servant. Correct?”

 

Where was she going with this? Sans, looking just as lost as you, nodded again.

 

“*yeah. i did all the paperwork and everything. she’s due for another appointment with alphys, but some things came up.” It was easy to note his drawling sarcasm, but the dogs didn’t seem dissuaded.

 

"What kind of work does she do? You must have bought her with some task in mind."

 

He chuckled uneasily. Honesty huh? "* actually, besides helping us pick up after dinner sometimes, not much. 'm not really comfortable ordering people around."

 

“Do you _see_ her as a human servant Sans?”

 

Oh. Two sides of your brain battled on whether you dared to meet Sans’ eye or not. The curious side won. He looked absolutely flabbergasted, face glowing slightly and jaw slack.

 

“* y-yes? no? i mean, she’s important to me. she belongs at our place but - shit- not because of the law or nothin, just-”

 

Dogamy’s voice was kind and teasing.

 

“Yes or No Sans?”

 

“* no.” He responded resolutely this time. He did not.

 

“Good. The Queen figured as much, and had us sent to recruit you specially.”

 

“* ol tori?! what would the queen want with _me_? recruit me for what?” 

 

If your hands weren’t pinned, you would be asking so SO many questions. Dogamy took over the explanation, his voice naturally gruff.

 

“Not just you. Both of you. Dogaressa and I are part of an underground society, focused on putting an end to all of this human slavery madness. Our town is going down a dark path, and not many remember that while humans may have originally put us underneath the mountain, it was also ultimately a kind human who gave their soul willingly to free us. The atrocities committed long ago should not be pushed forward onto the humans now inhabiting the surface. Humans and Monsters should be living together, in peace, enjoying the sun and the stars and the sky. That's what we all wanted once... Power has corrupted many of us, and revenge has blinded what used to be a loving, compassionate race.”

 

Realization was shining in Sans’ eyes. Frisk. They were talking about Frisk. The canine unit in particular had been very close to the small child in many timelines, and especially so in their final run. There were more people out there like him.

 

“* how many of us are there?” He asked wondrously, shaking off Dogamy’s now loose arms to turn and regard him. “* are there other free humans in this town?”

 

“Not as many as we’d like, but yes. Some of our members are like you, hiding their charges right under the laws nose. Other humans are seeking refuge with the Queen herself. This _must_ stay a secret for now, but we are willing to - overlook - your slip-up at the Ward if you agree to join our ranks.”

 

Sockets narrowed with suspicion. There had to be a catch. Something like this was huge to cover up, and to get off scott free… this had to be dangerous. But he didn’t have much choice, considering the alternatives.

 

“* ...what do i have to do?”

 

Upon his agreement, you felt Dogaressa’s arm fall away from you, and you quickly rushed to Sans’ side. He wrapped a bony arm around your waist protectively, the rest of the strain falling away from his tensed body. Reaching into her robe, a small metal card about the size of a business card was procured and handed over to the skeleton. The imagery was impossible to see in the dark, but he could feel his phalanges catch on a pattern embossed on the front.

 

“Bring that to Grillby’s - this Thursday at 8. Make sure the human comes with you.” A large hand patted your shoulder reassuringly. The female dog had gotten to her feet and walked over to stand beside her partner. From the way she nuzzled into him fondly, you realized that they must be together. Yet more monsters that were scary at first, but turned out to be another ally. 

 

“Now let’s all get home. It’s been quite a night for the two of you, I’m sure. ”

 

You nodded enthusiastically, more than ready to collapse into your bed and sleep forever. Waving goodbye, the guards disappeared into the forest as silently as they came, setting you in the right direction toward town. It would look strange if the four of you emerged from the woods together, so it was best you went your separate ways.

 

Letting out a long shaky breath, you let your head fall on Sans’ shoulder. You were _exhausted_! Your skin was clammy from the humid air, your hair was sticky with tree sap, and you never wanted to get anywhere near the void ever again.

 

Ever.

 

In your entire life.

 

Sans took one look at the long winding path leading through the forest, back to town, and turned to you, an apologetic but winsome smile stretching across his features.

 

“* hey kit - it’s a long long way back home. miles maybe.”

 

Oh no.

 

“* i promise i’ll be as gentle as possible”

 

Fuck.

 

“* how bout one more shortcut?”

 

You couldn’t say no to that face.

 

 


	17. Everything Is In Ship Shape

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Your dear author Sinnabon here! :) I felt like you guys could use some lighthearted fluff after the last few chapters, and that's what we got! Extra long chapter tonight -it just kept writing itself! 
> 
> (Also I have run out of damn nursery rhymes for these titles, I didn't expect this story to be so long. I may rename them or just switch to a different chapter naming thing)
> 
> Here is my tumblr, if you like undertale sin or just want updates on my fanfic! http://sinsational-sinnabon.tumblr.com
> 
> "* sans talks after an asterisk and in all lowercase"
> 
> ~ Wing Dings Sign Language will be between squiggles~
> 
> Thanks for everything as usual! <3

To his credit, the trip back was a lot less jarring. You hardly had to recover at all when you popped into existence right inside the front hallway of the skeleton brothers’ house, dirty as all hell and leaning on each other for support. The poor guy was struggling to keep his sockets open, and you led him step by step up the stairs and into his room. Papyrus stopped the two of you as he spotted you crossing the living room, and demanded to know where you’d been. It was you who explained that Sans had had a nightmare and accidentally teleported himself outside. You had heard the commotion and gone to fetch him.

 

You felt terrible about lying to the worried looking skeleton, but it seemed to work. He offered to carry Sans the rest of the way up, but you insisted that you were already on your way to bed anyway. There was no way he was in any condition for further questioning or prodding by his brother. You almost dropped him on several occasions when he drifted off on his way upstairs, leaning his full weight on your slight frame. Finally, you propped him up against the wall and pushed open the door next to yours.

 

Messy. Disorganized. Cluttered. These were a few words that immediately came to mind when you saw the condition of Sans’ room. You had never been in it before, and while you’d tried to imagine the scene a couple of times, it was nothing like this. First of all, there wasn’t even a bed. A lumpy looking mattress lay askew in the far corner of the room, pressed against a wall mostly taken up by a large solid pane of glass. The view of the night sky filled almost the entire expanse of your vision, and the large moon illuminated the dark room easily. Getting over that strange aspect, there was also a long, ornate wooden table flush against the side wall. You guessed it used to be the official dining room table for the previous residents before Sans had claimed it as his own. Of course, the only way you knew it was wood was by the legs. The surface was completely buried under inches of papers and strange contraptions. From what you could see in the dark, the technology looked practically futuristic. 

 

You allowed yourself a moment to chastise yourself for assuming that Sans was… less intelligent by the laissez-faire way he dressed and acted. By the look of it you had greatly underestimated him. You were sure to keep that firmly in mind as you waded through several piles of wrinkled clothing articles to reach the mattress. With all this clothing, it was a wonder you had never seen him in anything other than those black shorts and a hoodie. Maybe tomorrow you would offer to help him with laundry… or would that be weird after what happened tonight?

 

Oh yeah… tonight. You had almost managed to forget about the events from before during the whole escapade with the royal guard. The back of your neck prickled with heat as your mind recalled exactly what Sans had admitted to you - that like it or not - he was attracted to you. With clammy hands you used his weight to swing him forward onto the mattress.

 

_ Oof! _

 

Practically asleep, he had kept a firm grip on your wrist; your momentum pulling you both forward. With a muffled thud, a tangled mess of bones and limbs hit the sheets. He was already out like a light. Steady breathing, soft and slow, sounded agonizingly close to your ear. As was your luck, you had been stubbornly pinned between Sans ribcage and the mattress. It was - by the way - as lumpy as it looked. You huffed. 

 

You tried a couple times to wriggle yourself free, but at risk of waking up the bonehead, you forfeited to your temporary fate of Skeleton Prisoner. 

 

‘Just try not to think about it.’

 

You thought about it. It was hard not to; pressed up against him your mind decided now as the best time to keep replaying his admission. Now that you were alone, (well, relatively), you could process how you felt about the whole thing.

 

Honestly, you were still at a loss. The way your heart was racing proved that you definitely felt  _ something _ towards Sans; but was this something you wanted to - could handle - acting on? As much as you wanted to think that him being a monster didn’t matter, somewhere deep inside you you knew it was a possibility that you could react towards his magic… unfavorably. Could you bear to hurt his feelings like that? 

 

Sans has taken several big risks for  _ you _ already. You argued. Would you consider taking one for him?

 

You went back and forth in your mind, weighing the pros and cons of your situation and cursing the fact that this was even something you had to deal with. ‘He’s a fucking skeleton ____. A magic, teleporting,  _ monster _ skeleton that legally owns you. And he’s interested… And  _ I’M _ interested!?’ Could your life get any more strange? You sighed. Yeah. Yes it could. In a couple days you were going viva la resistance and joining the human rebellion with said monster. 

 

Eventually, your mind quieted and you managed to drift off - the cadence of quiet breathing and the soft steady hum of magic lulling you into a deep dreamless sleep.

 

 

* * *

 

 

His mattress was much softer than he remembered it being. Groaning contentedly, he rolled over and repositioned himself to nestle himself against the luxurious warm object. Disappointingly, his change in position had reintroduced most of his body to the original box spring, but the soft thing made up for it. Pressing his lower forearm into the bed, he managed to wrap both arms around it. His whole body conformed to it easily, the material giving way slightly to his bones. 

 

‘* man, paps must have really upgraded the sheets lately. this is great~’

 

The birds chirped cheerily outside, and pastel rays of morning sun illuminated the room. Ugh. Too early. He was still drained from the irresponsible use of his magic yesterday, and he was sure papyrus would understand if he slept in just a bit. Mind still hazy, he drifted back off for some more well needed rest.

 

The afternoon sun was blazing when he woke next. His magic levels felt much better, but he couldn’t help but want to stay in his nice warm bed, with his nice, new, cushy somehow not flat sheets. He pressed the front of his skull against the heated softness and breathed in deeply. It even smelled nice. Earthy at first, but underneath, a clean sweet scent that was tantalizingly familiar. Where had he smelled that before? He wracked his sleep muddled brain.

 

Yesterday? He took another deep inhale through this nose cavity. 

 

He recalled being outside, somewhere unfamiliar. 

 

He had been upset. 

 

Something about the Royal Guard. They were chasing him. Then you had -

 

You had…

 

_ YOU! _

 

His sockets shot open. His vision was filled with the color of your skin; his skull nestled between your shoulder blades. Now that he was aware, it was painfully obvious that he was spooning you from behind, his arms wrapped possessively around your waist. His soul stuttered to a standstill, trying to judge any change in your breathing. 

 

Still asleep. Thank Stars.

 

Being excruciatingly careful not to disturb you, he untangled himself and quietly climbed out of bed. If you had woken up and found him holding you like that…. The porcelain surface of his cheekbones burned a brilliant blue. 

 

_ Especially _ after last night. 

 

‘* Play it cool Sans. She didn’t… uh… run away screaming or anything, but she didn’t say yes either. Things can just go back to normal...ish.’

 

He fished some sweats and a graphic T from one of his floor piles and shuffled downstairs. A shower sounded great. He could barely remember coming home, but whatever happened - it hadn’t included changing out of his filthy clothes. The hot water felt amazing and he lingered as usual in the shower, making sure to clean himself thoroughly. A series of knocks sounded on the bathroom door, muffled but still audible through the steam. 

 

“* who is it?”

 

The voice that responded belonged to none other than his brother.

 

“May I come in?”

 

Sans hastily shut off the stream and wrapped a fluffy blue towel around his ribs. Pulling open the door, he joined a pensive looking Papyrus outside the bathroom. 

 

“* didja need the bathroom bro? i’m done now.”

 

He shook his head. “No brother, I wanted to talk to you before the human got up. I feel like they were telling me a falsehood yesterday when I asked where you had gone, so I wanted to ask you. I could have sworn you were in your room when the guards were here - why did you run off?”

 

A bead of sweat trickled down Sans’ skull and tickled the first couple vertebrae on his neck. Shit. He had been asleep for this - what had you said? Obviously you hadn’t told him the truth, Sans thankfully thought.

 

“* ahhhh. s-sorry bro, i have no idea what you’re talking about.” Real smooth Sans.

 

Anger flashed through Papyrus’s sockets, a gloved hand smacking the wall beside his brother’s skull.

 

“I’m not an IDIOT brother! Although you seem to enjoy treating me like one! You did something illegal - you must have, or the guard wouldn’t have come to our house.”

 

The short skeleton floundered, unsure of what to do. Papyrus continued, his volume growing continuously louder as he spoke.

 

“But  _ I _ , a high ranking member of the Royal Guard, wasn’t told about it! Which either means they ALSO think I’m incompetent enough to not keep my duties and my personal life separate-”

 

“* paps, no - it’s not what you-”

 

“OR, that it’s something dire enough that only a few select guards know.” The imposing skeleton had his brother caged between him and the wall. He was getting answers. No more “Let’s Hide Things From Papyrus Because He Wouldn’t Understand”. 

 

“Either way, as your Brother - AND a guard - It seems like something I should know. I’ll ask again. Why did you run from the royal guard last night?”

 

Sans was trapped in more ways than one. Brothers were supposed to tell each other everything. But his whole life had been centered around hiding things from the young, energetic skeleton. It wasn’t that he thought his brother couldn’t handle it, but that he shouldn’t have to. His baggage, his troubles, were all his burden to bear. And now, as a member of the King’s Guard, it was even more dire that he kept this particular secret from Papyrus.

 

A half truth was better than a total lie… right? 

 

“* y-you’re right. i did break the law. it was stupid - i was tryin’ to sell things without a permit again. real small.”

 

Papyrus let himself relax a bit, although his hand stayed at rest against the wall.

 

“* and t-the truth is, i freaked out and popped outta my room when they came ta talk. kit saw me and came after me cause she was worried. the dogs ended up findin me, but we talked it out and it’s fine now - i swear.”

 

Sans felt his sins crawl up his spine as Papyrus stared searchingly into his sockets, trying to determine if his brother was being truthful. 

 

A sigh. “I’m just worried about you Sans. That smile may fool everyone else, but I know better brother. You’ve been acting really weird the last couple days…”

 

“Just… take care of yourself. I can tell that you aren’t going to tell me what’s going on here - but since you  _ insist _ , I’ll stay out of it.”

 

With that, his brother grabbed his things from the hallways and without a glance back, left for work. He worked at the castle directly with the King - a huge honor that few citizens shared. 

 

Feeling like shit, Sans finished getting dressed and collapsed face first on the couch. A couple minutes later he heard your socked feet descending the steps. He glanced over and saw that you too had changed, although your hair was still tangled and limbs still smeared with small amounts of dirt. You were rubbing your eyes blearily and didn’t even seem to see him until you got to the bottom of the stairwell. He hoped you hadn’t heard his “heart to heart” with Papyrus. 

 

 

* * *

 

 

The entire house had heard Sans’ conversation with Papyrus. It was impossible not to overhear. After waking up in Sans’ bed - to your mortification - you had escaped into your room to change. A shower would have been lovely, but you got halfway down the stairs when the din started up and quickly reconsidered. Still groggy, you’d shoved your legs into a pair of black and grey striped leggings and shrugged on a black short sleeved T shirt. Lazy clothes. 

 

When it was safe to go downstairs, you cautiously made your way to the living room. A bit of mind numbing TV sounded amazing. There was a black lump stretched out on the couch already that revealed itself as Sans. He looked like shit. 

 

Theeeere it was. It took three seconds for the awkward tension you’d been dreading to permeate the room. You refused to have any sort of conversation about this now.

 

~ Want to see if Property Brothers is on?~ You deflected so hard that the subject may have well gone off the field. Out of play. Game, set and match. 

 

Sans fumbled for the remote and clicked to HGTV - the perfect station for mindless television viewing. His eyes shone thankfully as he moved to make room on the couch. He patted the proffered cushion. 

 

Tucking your legs beneath you, you got comfortable. Two overly attractive twins with perfectly coiffed hair were describing how to optimize a DIY painting job and you immersed yourself in design drabble. This was better. You could almost pretend the last 24 hours away as some sort of strange dream. 

 

As much as you wanted to, you knew you couldn’t spend the entire day lazing on the couch with Sans. You reached over and tapped his tibia for his attention.

 

~Hey, don’t we need to see… your lizard friend? The doctor?~

 

You forgot her name, but Sans seemed to understand anyway. “* oh yeah! i completely forgot. it doesn’t feel like it’s been a month, but i guess it has, huh?” He typed out a quick message on his phone and sent it off. It pinged with a response not even a minute later.

 

“* alphys says she’s free. maybe you guys can talk about anime some more.” He elbowed you playfully and you laughed quietly. “* maybe you could even physically talk to her.”

 

You shot him a glance and his eyes glimmered in return. “* i’m just  _ kitten  _ around! if you did that i may never get you back from mew mew hell.” 

 

Oh he would pay for that! With a loud groan, you pounced on him and hooked an arm around his collar, rubbing your knuckles against his skull.

 

Although he feigned displeasure, his deep chuckles told otherwise. “* hey! don’t noogie the skeleton!”

 

It took another whole hour before the two of you got yourselves off of the couch and ready to go. Sans changed out of his sweatpants into a slightly different pair of shorts, but insisted on keeping on the shirt he was wearing. It was white with a picture of an orange and black fox on the front, emblazoned with the text “Oh For” above, and “Sakes!” right below the image. 

 

Papyrus hated it. He said it was “rude” and “distasteful”. Thus - Sans loved it. You thought it was funny, which made Sans love it even more. Now that you knew using too much magic tired out the small skeleton, you were doubly insistent on walking to Alphys’ place. The unassuming brick building was a lot less threatening the second time, and you grinned eagerly when the timid reptilian opened the door. 

You practically leaped into her arms, wrapping her in a tight hug. The brothers were great, but you hadn’t realized how much you had missed interacting with other people who weren’t chasing you or scaring you or being generally unpleasant. 

 

“W-what did you DO with her Sans?!” Alphys asked through the affectionate assault, her buck teeth poking out in a small smile. “Is this the s-same human you brought me last month?”

 

She took a step back to look you over, obviously pleased with how healthy you looked compared to the underfed, nervous thing she had examined. You seemed like almost a different person. There was an air of confidence and life about you, and although you still looked a bit tired, the dark look in your eyes had turned into a lively sparkle. Most importantly, even though she couldn’t see it, Alphys could feel your soul positively glowing. 

 

“Well c-come in! I think w-we can forego the formalities this time. Want s-something to eat? I was just about t-to eat lunch.”

 

Her idea of lunch, of course, turned out to be ramen and soda. Papyrus didn’t allow the fizzy drink in his house, so of course you took up the opportunity here. Sans declined. Instead of leading you back to the sterile lab, the squat monster invited you to make yourselves comfortable in her living room. With nodded encouragement from Sans, you left the two of them be to check out the many models and volumes of manga that lined a series of shelves. Maybe she would let you borrow some even!

 

Once you were out of earshot, Alphys set her empty ramen bowl aside and grasped Sans’ bony hands enthusiastically. “Ok y-you have to tell me what you’ve been doing! I t-take it she’s settled in well? In fact, y-you seem to be doing better too. You seem happier.”

 

Sans’ toothy grin hiked higher as he chortled. “* she’s been great alph. paps won’t admit it but he’s absolutely taken with her, and she’s certainly livened up the house.” 

 

Alphys pressed on. “I bet! She s-seems sweet, now that she’s opened up. W-what do you have her doing? You obviously didn’t return her despite your initial misgivings. W-what changed?” 

 

His laugh this time was slightly uneasy. “* uh- you know, just… house stuff?” 

 

Her scaly brows furrowed, snout scrunching in concentration. “S-sans… i-if i asked you if you were just keeping her as a housemate, you’d have to tell me no, r-right?” He nodded. 

 

You looked over from where you were buried in a pile of manga to see them whispering and glancing over to you. They sure were bad at hiding their topic of conversation. Seeing you look, they quickly averted their eyes and went back to their conversation. Ah well. You were more interested in the storyline of the manga you had picked up. 

 

Alphys leaned in close. The grin she had on was positively shit-eating. “Y-you’re totally living a secret domestic life with your servant! This is so exciting - it’s just like an anime I was watching last week, where this princess gets captured and taken as a prisoner by this big scary alien, but the alien turns out to be really sweet and end up falling for the princess and - GASP”

 

Sans knew exactly what it meant when Alphys got like this and it wasn’t good. “* alph before you say anythi-”

 

“A-are you and the human??” She made a kissy motion with her claws and Sans grabbed at them and slammed them to the couch, obviously flustered. “* n-no!” This only seemed to reaffirm her quickly growing “New Ship”. 

 

“B-but you liiiiiike her!! Does she know? D-Do you think she likes you back, because that would be super cute and illegal but that’s what makes it exciting and-” Her thick tail thumped furiously on the cushion. 

 

“*  _ shhhhhh! _ ” He’d barely figured it out himself and this was already getting out of control.  “* can we just get on with the exam? paps is gonna be home for dinner at 6.”

 

Alphys wouldn’t stop smiling smugly at him, but at least she let the subject drop. 

 

She was totally going to write fanfiction about this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alphys is all of us.


	18. Hot Cross Buns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come stalk your local skele-sinner on tumblr - at http://sinsational-sinnabon.tumblr.com!
> 
> "* sans talks in all lowercase and with an asterisk"
> 
> ~Wing Dings is between these squiggles~
> 
> "A-alphys generally stutters so she's easy to p-pick out"
> 
> Thanks for your support! I simply adore reading your comments! They keep me going. :)

The exam went pretty much like last time, although the atmosphere between you and Alphys was much more casual than before. You made small talk as she took your measurements and listened to your heart rate. The chilled metal of the stethoscope made you gasp when she placed it against your bare skin, her scaly hands deftly moving it around to get an accurate measurement. 

 

“S-so.” She stepped back and stuffed the instrument in a large pocket sewn into her white coat. As she sat down in a squeaky rolling chair (you were seated casually on the edge of the metal table) she clasped her small claws and looked up at you with almost sparkling eyes.

 

“Now t-that we’re alone, tell me exactly how y-you’re doing. It’s not often I g-get humans in my practice who are so c-close with their masters.”

 

You felt small, like you were under the end of a high powered microscope. You liked Alphys, and you knew that she and Sans were - if not friends- than at least close acquaintances, but you weren’t sure if Sans would want her knowing about the arrangement you had with the skeleton brothers. Quite honestly, ever since she had practically dragged you back here, she had been acting quite strangely; giggling like a school girl and shooting you many not-so-secret glances. She was worse than your parents that one time they tried to plan you a secret birthday party.

 

She still wasn’t the best at reading Wing Dings, but she’d been studying up, and looked at your hands rapturously, waiting for a response. You swore she squealed under her breath when you lifted them from your lap to sign. You remembered to keep things slow and simple so she could follow along.

 

~Sans and Papyrus are really nice. I have my own room, and good food, and new clothes. And-~ 

 

Your hands twitched shyly.

 

~ Sans takes me with him around town sometimes, like when food shopping for the house, which was something I never got to do before.~ 

 

You wanted to add in how you and the brothers would have close family-styled dinners, and how Sans would often bring you back small snacks and gifts after work, and the lazy days spent watching tv with Sans on the couch, but you knew that servants likely weren’t supposed to do that kind of thing.

 

Alphys somehow managed to look pleased and slightly disappointed at the same time.

 

“O-oh, is that all? I’m glad y-you have been settling in then.” Her bare feet papped against the tile as she hopped out of the chair, scribbling a couple last things on her notepad.

 

“W-well you’re exam is o-over, so I suppose I’ll see you in a month.” She gave you a timid smile. “Feel f-free to take some manga if you have any free time to read.”

 

You thanked her and the two of you headed back to the living room, where Sans sat uncomfortably in the exact center of her couch, feet flat on the floor. His smile was obviously fake, and you thought you could see a couple beads of sweat on the back of his skull that he hastily wiped off when he rose. 

 

With a hand on the center of your back, he almost rushed you out of the house after you had grabbed a couple volumes of a psychological thriller manga that you’d been reading earlier.

 

“* heh. Gotta run alph - i’ll text ya later about that research you wanted me to do.”

 

He slowed down when the two of you were a couple blocks away from Alphys’s home lab. You could tell by his body language that he was still anxious about something, and you found one hand messing abstractedly with the silver disk on your collar, the other tugging at the edge of Sans’ jacket - which he refused to leave the house without. You thought it looked cute on him anyway.

 

“* hm?” Sans had been staring into space, and you had jarred him from his reverie. 

 

~I said, what’s the rush? Ever since I got out from my exam with Alphys’s you’ve seemed kind of.. Out of it.~

 

He turned to face you on the sidewalk, expression unreadable. You were too damn perceptive for your own good.

 

“* alph didn’t say anything weird to you, did she?” The confused expression you gifted him in response seemed to be the answer he was hoping for, and his mouth worked its way into a small hesitant grin.

 

“* oh, forget about it then.”

 

Not so fast Sans.

 

~ No! No. What did you think she said? How would I know if she said it or not if I don’t know what you mean? ~ You didn’t really care, but you enjoyed seeing the normally composed man flustered.

 

That he was. “* y-ya know that.. uh.. thing i told you about last night?”

 

He could’ve meant several different things, but he looked uncomfortable enough bringing it up that you didn’t push it. Neither of you had brought it up since then, but it was obvious that he was talking about his… confession - or whatever you wanted to call it. He took your silence as an affirmative.

 

“* well i’ve worked with alph in the past and if i know anything, it’s that she’s a filthy shipper. too much anime. now i didn’t say mum, but she’s under the… assumption…” (the correct assumption, but no one asked him) “* that i like ya.”

 

More silence from yours truly. Your brain and hands had eloped to Hawaii for an extended honeymoon. 

 

“* be… that as it may, i just wanted to make sure she didn’t make you feel uncomfortable or nothin’… because  _ i _ don’t want you to feel pressured or like you had to go and make my feelings your business.”

 

This was getting painful to watch. Sans’ sneaker scuffed idly on the concrete as his skull did a convincing turtle impression in the fluff of his jacket. You felt bad about keeping him in the dark about your feelings towards him, when he had no choice; things on his side raw and in the open, but you weren’t ready. If you told him and it turned out that you had second thoughts, or couldn’t handle it - well you didn’t want to saw through any more anchors of the already tattered rope bridge that symbolized your friendship with the skeleton.

 

“It’s okay Sans. It’s fine.” Your soft voice stopped his rambling in an instant, and he shot you a grateful smile. The way he looked at you made you want to slip your small hand into his bony one, to reassure him in more than words, but in public company - it was better you didn’t.

 

The matter brushed back under the rug for now, the both of you headed home to Papyrus, a warm house, and a piping hot serving of pasta.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Thursday night came way too fast. You were nervous, and you weren’t the only one. Several times that day, you had caught Sans pulling the small metal card from his pocket and studiously looking at it; as if staring harder would cause anything other than the simple embossed pattern to appear on its surface. He’d shown you the card when you’d asked, but the design on the front meant nothing to you. Well, it did, but the repeating pattern of right side up and upside down hearts seemed purely aesthetic. 

 

Standing in front of the mirror, on your fifth potential outfit, you wondered what to expect. Was this formal, like a 007 film? Or more casual? You knew that you would likely be meeting a lot of people, so you settled with a cute blue cotton dress that tied around the neck. It had black and white trim around the bottom and accentuated your waist with a simple silver stripe. Not too fancy, but a step up from what you normally wore. 

 

It wasn’t until you both stood in the hallway, Sans shrugging on his jacket, that you realized you matched. Unsure of what to wear himself, Sans had defaulted to same old same old from the waist up, a white turtleneck peeking out of the bottom of his hoodie. At the very least, he had traded out his sport shorts for black dress pants. 

 

He started when you reached over and grasped his hand, forgetting in his haste that the two of you had agreed to teleport there. You couldn’t risk anyone seeing a slave out after curfew. Luck was on your side - Papyrus had stayed late for extra guard training. Sans had left him a note just in case, explaining that you’d gone out for some emergency grocery shopping, that yes, he was aware that it was against the rules, and that he would do the laundry as penance. You came to know that was pretty big - for him. Sans never did laundry if he couldn’t help it.

 

One short hop through the dark creepy abyss later, you stood face to face with a plain metal door set into a brick wall. You had evidently landed in an ally. Sans whispered that it was the back entrance of Grillby’s when you asked, hands shaking slightly against his side.

 

The door opened almost as soon as Sans knocked, a tall broad figure blocking the light. While you got more apprehensive, Sans seemed to relax- recognizing the monster. Digging the piece of metal out of his jacket pocket, he flashed it at the doorman. Before either of you could say anything, the figure ushered you through the door and shut it quietly behind you.

 

It was sweltering. It barely took a few seconds for your skin to start beading with moisture and you thanked whoever was listening that you wore a dress. You seemed to be in the back room of a restaurant, judging by the smell of grease and spices that permeated the air. A few wooden tables were peppered throughout the space, some missing a corner, others gouged or burned or flawed in some other way. Must be leftovers that the restaurant replaced. The same went for the handful of chairs set up around the room. As your eyes adjusted to the warm, dim lighting, you made out at least twenty to thirty people. Most of them were monsters, but you were pleased to see a few other humans like yourself, sitting or standing close to their assumed masters.

 

At the click of the door shutting, every eye in the room shifted to the newcomers. You half hid behind Sans, weakly clutching at his sleeve. 

 

Sans, however, seemed considerably more at ease at this environment. He was pleased to see many familiar faces in the crowd, including most of the Canine Unit, Grillby’s daughter, the Snowdrake family, and various others he recognized from the Underground.  

 

Dogamy and Dogaressa, who you almost didn’t recognize at first outside of their cloaks, separated from the rest of the dog pack and approached you. The monster that let you in - a massive fluffy white Samoyed type dog - gave the pair a quick nuzzle before leaving to sit down. The female monster knelt down to give your hair a quick ruffle, and Sans a warm hug.

 

“Glad to see you two here.” 

 

Standing again, her and her husband, (Sans had told you), moved to stand behind you. She addressed the crowd, a paw on each of your shoulders as if displaying you to a judge.

 

“Everyone, please welcome Sans and his human to our group. I’m assure you that the man you see before you will be an invaluable addition to our cause. Don’t take my word for it though - would you please introduce yourselves?”

 

Sans, noticing your hesitation, went first. Strong hands encouraged you out from behind him to stand at his side. They lingered for a second before returning to his pockets, a sure sign of his well hidden apprehension. His low languid baritone cut easily through the murmurs of the throng of monsters and humans before you.

 

“* heh. so most of you already know me from underground as your resident comedian and prankster.” A couple snickers could be made out from the crowd. “* for those that don’t, the name is Sans the Skeleton. ”

Dogamy leaned over and whispered something into the side of Sans’ skull. You noticed his smile shift, but it was back in place by the time he spoke up again. 

 

“* fine, fine. my  _ full  _ name is sans serif gaster, of snowdin town.” You glanced at him in interest - you weren’t even aware he had had a last name, but thinking about it, you didn’t see why he wouldn’t. Was he aware that his name itself was a font pun? He must.

 

“* seeing as this is some sort of human independance group, it should be pretty obvious why i’m here, but i’ve never liked this concept of human slavery and i’ll be more than happy to see it gone.” 

 

You felt the attention of the room shift to you momentarily, the unspoken question ringing out loud and clear. If he was so against it, why did he obviously own a servant? A loudmouthed slime in the back asked as much, the rest of the crowd shiftily muttering their agreement.

 

“* ach-hem.” To your side, Sans cleared a throat he didn’t have. “* i guess we’re in safe company here, so i’ll tell you in confidence that kitten here lives with us as part of our family, not as our servant.” You felt yourself flush. He considered you part of his family? 

 

A gruff looking black and white dog wearing a spiked collar scoffed. “If she’s got so much free will, why doesn’t  _ she _ tell us how great she’s doing?” A chorus of “yeahs!” shot up. 

 

His cocksure attitude was quickly giving way to a more neurotic one. 

 

“* well, ya see, she doesn’t like to talk, and-” “* h-hey! it was a complicated situation and-” 

 

Sans kept trying to speak up, but spurned on by the shift eyed border collie, kept getting interrupted with pointed questions and unfair accusations. A simmering anger set up a small fire in your belly; these people were supposedly on the same side. Sans was just trying to help. All he’s ever been was accommodating and attentive and  _ kind _ . Weren’t these people supposed to be his friends?

 

Feeling your shyness fall away, you pushed forward and stood in front of Sans, eyes narrowed and burning. Your voice was raspy, but strong and filled with purpose. 

 

“Everyone shut up! I’m not here because I  _ have _ to be. I’m here because I  _ want _ to be!”

 

The crowd fell silent. Your gaze flicked through the crowd shooting daggers at everyone who was heckling Sans. You coughed, trying to get your voice box to behave. Gesturing at the skeleton behind you, you continued, voice a little surer.

 

“ _ He’s _ here because he wants to be. For  _ my _ sake! I’m not the only collared human in the room - what’s  _ your _ excuse?”

 

The black and white canine sat down, thoroughly cowed. You couldn’t help but wryly think that his bark must be worst than his bite. Sans would appreciate that one. 

 

“ Sans has been nothing but amazing to me from day one and… and… if given the choice I would consider myself lucky to stay by his side, law or no law. He’s not my master - he’s my best friend.”

 

Moment of courage quickly reaching it’s limit, you stepped back, unconsciously slipping your fingers between the hard warm ceramic of his.

 

“That’s.. That’s all.” 

 

One human at the back started softly clapping, and within a few seconds, you were surrounded with the sound of applause; Monsters and humans rushing forward to greet you. 

 

Sans was still frozen behind you, fingers limp in yours. His eye sockets were almost round, pupils fixed on the side of your face and shining like stars in the night sky. If his soul hummed any louder, he would start worrying that people nearby could hear it. Lastly, he was 300% sure that his cheekbones were flushed a deep blue. 

 

That was amazing.

 

_ You _ were amazing.


	19. Little Robin Red Breast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damn. For some reason this chapter just did NOT want to come out. I'm still not entirely satisfied with it, but I've made y'all wait long enough hehe. 
> 
> As usual, here is my tumblr! http://sinsational-sinnabon.tumblr.com
> 
> And as a side note, tomorrow is the Anniversary of Undertale! Take a moment to celebrate the making of the game that started it all!

Your palms felt awkwardly chapped, having now shaken every paw and claw and hand and slick tentacle in warm introduction. After your initial outburst, the monsters were much more willing to listen to Sans as he explained your preference for non-verbal communication, and for the next couple hours, he kindly translated your signs for the group. It wasn’t the only reason you stuck close by his side, but it certainly made interacting with the many new monsters and humans vying for your attention easier. It had been a long time since you’d been surrounded by this many people, and you felt safer in his presence, at least one side blocked comfortingly off by his sturdy body. Either way, he certainly wasn’t complaining. No matter how you were shuffled, there was always the warm feeling of his bony hand somewhere on you. It shifted with necessity, from arm, to back, to shoulder, but the fact of his touch remained unwavering.

 

After a time, the crowd dwindled and you could take a moment to collect yourself. A heavy arm rested across your shoulder, and you unconsciously leaned in close to his sternum, wanting just for a moment to be shielded in the embrace. His grip tightened, the ceramic tips of his fingers digging into your back as he pulled you softly closer. You were close enough to hear the hum of his magic. A contented huff of air breezed by your neck and the room suddenly turned even more uncomfortably warm. Did someone turn up the thermostat?

 

“* are you doing alright?” His voice was lowered and meant to be heard by you only. You were a little overwhelmed, admittedly, but not unbearably so. You inhaled deeply into his jacket taking comfort in his familiar scent: cold and crisp, like a thick blanket of snow, yet slightly musky. Notes of tomato, likely a mix of Papyrus’s spaghetti and Sans’ ketchup drinking habits created a subtle undertone. It smelled like home. Feeling better, you nodded against his chest and he released you. It looked like they were about to start the actual meeting.

 

Dogamy and Dogaressa, whom Sans had mentioned was a married pair, had taken a stand at the far side of the room, where you had entered earlier. The rest of the group, taking the unspoken cue, was settling down into chairs and against walls. You and Sans took up residence leaning against the wall on the opposite side of the room. Dim lighting, cast by a few hanging lights above, created a soothing atmosphere that directly clashed with the canine’s serious tones as they spoke. It was difficult to see, but you didn’t really need to.

 

“Now that introductions are taken care of, we must discuss the condition of the Overground slave trade and how we plan to address it. Before that though, I am sure most of you have heard word of the disappearance of a warden on the east side of town.”

 

As the crowd mumbled their assent, you felt Sans stiffen beside you. You caught Dogaressa eye as it sought him out in the crowd. A pointed glance was exchanged and again you felt as he leaned over in your direction.

 

“* hey, come with me for a second. i want to introduce you to someone.”

 

You weren’t an idiot, and could easily tell that he was giving you an excuse to be absent for this part of the discussion. As much as you resented being sent out like a child when adults wanted to converse, you also weren’t sure you wanted to be privy to that particular conversation. Hand lightly gripping your wrist, he weaved through the crowd with you in tow until you reached a metal door set into the wall, different from the entrance. You hadn’t noticed it before now, but Sans opened it and snuck through without an ounce of trepidation. It took you to the restaurant's kitchen, well-kept and gleaming, but you didn’t linger; a second door in the room your true destination.

 

A fine layer of ash rubbed off on your fingers as you pushed the second door open. You looked back at Sans, convinced he had taken a wrong turn somewhere, but he gave you an encouraging smile and a little push through. A heavenly smell filled your senses, though distant and faded. You were obviously in the restaurant now, rows of booths lining the space and faded orange tinted light giving the bar a welcoming feeling. The vantage point was what threw you off. The front door stared at you from across the room, and a long polished wooden bar separated you from the rest of the space. Sans closed the door behind you as you took in the human bar that had transformed into Grillby’s. It seemed mostly the same, but you couldn’t help but feel something was.... Off. Even though the restaurant was sparse at this hour, with only a couple monsters lingering in the booths, the room was too bright. Too warm. The shadows seemed to fight each other, playing tricks on your eyes. You squinted and tried to find the invisible light source until you felt a tug on your wrist.

 

“* kitten, i’d like you to meet grillby. he made the best burgers in the underground.” You spun around and gasped. Your first instinct was to run for help; the smartly dressed human shape in front of you was completely engulfed by hungry flames, rippling across their skin like the flow of a river after heavy rain. His face, however, was distinctly not human. Instead of hair, wisps of fire flickered upward before dissipating, looking much like the top of a campfire. Behind a pair of steel spectacles balanced improbably on his noseless and earless face were his eyes, yet more fire that burned white hot in contrast to the orangey yellows of the rest of him. Feeling foolish, you chased your first impression from your mind - recognizing the man before you as a monster, obviously not at all discomforted by his flaming skin.

 

“* grillbz, this is kitten. i was wondering if she could hang up here with you for a minute.”

 

Grillby briefly nodded and stoically extended a hand in your direction. You hesitated. What if he -

 

“* don’t worry, he’s a bit hotheaded but he won’t burn you.” You heard a faux offended huff from the elemental.

 

Well, if Sans said it was alright… You lifted a hand and cautiously grasped his flaming one. You could feel the fire flutter airily against your skin, but the temperature was pleasantly warm instead of painful. Fascinating. He gave it a small pump up and down before releasing your hand and picking up a rag and a half cleaned glass. Turning, you saw a satisfied smile on Sans’ face. He gave the hand still interlocked with his a small squeeze before stepping back.

 

“* i’ll come back to get you in a bit. he takes a bit to warm up to but i promise you’ll like him. he pretty much raised me after all, so i trust him to keep you safe.” With that he vanished through the door, leaving you alone with Grillby.

 

The first few minutes passed by in a strained silence; Grillby wiped down glasses and you fidgeted against the inside of the bar beside him, a few feet of distance between you. You honestly couldn’t tell if your introduction went well or if he somehow hated you after just meeting you. If you thought reading Sans’ set smile was tough, trying to find some semblance of emotion in moving fire was impossible. You could tell when he glanced over at you, but nothing beyond that. Already, you missed Sans. As Grillby looked over at you yet again, you signed a quick hello. This man was supposed to be someone important to Sans; the least you could do was try and be friendly.

 

Liquid eyes focused on your hands, narrowing slightly. He met your tentative gaze and cocked his head. A jagged line split the bottom half of his face, forming what must be his mouth.

 

“I’m… sorry. I cannot read Wing Dings.”

 

His tone, soft, measured, and layered with crackling and popping, seemed apologetic but friendly. That small sign that the man beside you was not angry, just quiet, did much to ease your nerves. At least he recognized your signs for what they were, even if he couldn’t make any use of them. The last glass clinked against the wooden surface as he set it down, flinging the wet rag over his shoulder. It was dry instantly, a hiss of evaporated water accompanying the wisps of steam into the air. You couldn’t help but grin, and he seemed pleased at your response. Settling down on a leather capped stool, he gestured for you to come closer.

 

“Figured you’d like that, if you get along with that jokester. Here, come here sweetheart. I’m not going to hurt you.” You swore you saw a literal spark in his eye as he gestured to you with a hand. More at ease, you took the few steps that closed the last few feet of distance. He turned to face you, taking the small silver plate on your collar between his fingers for a closer look. Despite being awfully close, he was being nothing but a gentleman. He didn’t make you feel uneasy at all.

 

“So you’re the human that Sans talks so much about.” He started contemplatively. Blood rose to your face at the realization that your skeletal housemate had talked about you to Grillby. What had he said? The metal - now warm - touched your collarbone again as he sat back up and away. “All good things, I swear. It’s just curious is all.” He patted a second stool beside him.

 

You took the offered seat and rested your elbows on the counter. Chin rested in your hands, you turned slightly to look at him and cleared your sore throat. You sure were doing a lot of talking tonight.

 

“What’s curious, sir?” You were starting to get used to the surprised reactions you got when you spoke, but seeing Grillby’s flames flare in bewilderment was enough to draw a small laugh. Furthermore, you were pretty sure the reddening of flames on his face was the equivalent of an embarrassed blush. Instead of an answer, the elemental reached under the counter to retrieve an ornate, mostly full bottle of dark brown liquid. You had a good idea of what it was, but stayed quiet as he measured out a small glass for each of you and placed yours on the bar.

 

“Drink.”

He took a long drag from his own, a small sigh escaping him as the glass clinked back against the wood. Fingers steepled, he gazed out into the restaurant - but you could tell that he was much further away. You sipped from your own glass. As you expected, the smooth whiskey burned on the way down, warming you from the inside out. It was strong stuff - after a few mouthfuls you could already feel your face flushing and the noise of the pub fading into unimportant murmurs in the back of your mind. Grillby’s staticy voice cut through the fuzz, a wistful undertone that you had to strain to hear.

 

“Those two brothers have not had the best lot in life. I found them one brutal snow season when they were searching for scraps in the dumpsters behind my restaurant. Sans was near death; everything he had salvaged went straight to his brother. In fact, he attacked me when I first tried to approach them. It’s obvious he didn’t have the best experience with other monsters. I didn’t ask. I still don’t know exactly what their story is. Anyway, I took them in, first temporarily, but it wasn’t long before I regarded them as my own. They had no parents - no memories of them anyway - and I knew that if I left them… well, they wouldn’t have lasted the week. “

 

It was hard to believe that the lazy jokester and the energetic skeleton you lived with had ever been anything less, but Grillby’s tone of voice left no room for doubt. Then again, thinking back to the night in the woods, and the desperate look in Sans’ eyes… made it a little easier to believe. You finished your drink, the pleasant tingle of the alcohol making your words flow easily.

 

“Why are you telling me all this?” You held your glass out hopefully for a refill, which the bartender obliged. Despite the… serious topic, it had been far too long since you’d gotten to get drunk and let loose a little.  “I mean, I’m sorry. That was rude. It’s actually really interesting to hear about his past. He never talks about stuff like this.”

 

Grillby hummed under his breath. “Exactly. Sans keeps his cards close to his chest. He has many secrets; things he has not even told his brother, and certainly many things he is hiding from me. What I am getting at, human, is that he does not trust easily. It may seem like he has many friends, but while he is talented at getting people to open up to him, not many are afforded the same privilege.”

 

It was getting harder to stay focused on his words, a bubbly distracted joy pulling at your concentration, but you knew that wherever he was going with this was likely important. You found yourself caught under a white hot focused gaze as he met your eye. “But when Sans _does_ let someone into his inner circle, you can be assured that he will stop at absolutely nothing to provide for and protect them; whether it is within his own best interests or not.”

 

Oh. Unconsciously, your eyes flicked over to the door that separated the bar from the group of monsters in the next room. A rustle of cloth told you that Grillby had changed position, one hand supporting his chin while the other splayed against the wooden top.

 

“You get it. I will not pry, but it is obvious that there is more between you two than meets the eye. Don’t take this as me advising against it; I just want to be sure you understand the position you would put him in, and the danger it would mean for you as well. I cannot count on Sans to think rationally when it comes to these matters, so I ask you to make sure he does not do anything… foolish.”

 

There was an expectant silence - he must be waiting for you to say something. Your head was reeling, from the alcohol or the topic you couldn’t tell, and all you could manage was a small nod. Seemingly appeased, the fire elemental collected both glasses and stood just as the door to the kitchen swung open. To anyone entering, it was as if he had been bustling around the bar the whole while. White pinpricks regarded you before approaching. You felt a familiar hand against your lower back, consciously out of sight from the rest of the diner. What was somewhat less familiar was the electrical pulse that shot through you at his touch. Your skin erupted in goosebumps as your already flushed face burned redder.

 

“* meeting’s over kitten. ready to go?”

 

You were more than ready. Anything to avoid more of this serious back and forth. As you rose from your seat, the full effects of the whisky caught up to you, your feet betraying you and tripping on air. Grillby was probably a nice guy, but right now you felt uncomfortably like you had just met the parents of a new potential partner. Well, you thought to yourself; in a way you sorta had. Your drunken mind placed you in a fictional living room, with a irritated Grillby sending you off with a suited up Sans to prom. Papyrus stood nyoo hoo-ing joyously in the background. Sans gave you a curious look as you started giggling uncontrollably. It was funny, but you found yourself laughing long after the humor of the image had ran off.  

 

Grillby at least had the sense to look apologetic at the deadpan stare given to him by the skeleton.

 

“* really grillbz? you got her drunk? That was a pretty _whisky_ move.” He held you steady as secretly as possible, his hand moving to your forearm and doing it’s best to keep you upright - which was for whatever reason hilarious to you. You tried to say as much with your free hand, but it was such gibberish you may as well have been trying to cast a magic spell. The majority of your common sense was currently on an extended vacation.

 

“... She seemed tense. Perhaps I should have paid more attention to her human tolerance levels.”

 

Sans sighed, but a badly hidden smile, along with that horrid pun, told Grillby he’d already been forgiven. What’s done is done, and you certainly seemed to be enjoying yourself. He didn’t think he’d ever seen you so happy and carefree before.

 

“* thanks for watchin her. the meeting got pretty heavy, and i figured it’d be better she stay out here and get to know ya, and vice versa. you did say you wanted to meet her.”

 

Calling yourself a cuddly drunk would be an understatement. Currently, you were trying to close the distance between you and the big blue puffy jacket that was calling your name. The solid hand around your arm tried valiantly to keep your wriggly self at arms distance. Grillby gave the two of you a jagged grin and gave Sans a fatherly pat on the shoulder.

 

“If you’re looking for my approval, you don’t need it. But I thank you for trusting me with your secret. It’s safe with me.” He leaned in closer, to where Sans’ ear would be if he had them, and dropped his voice to a whisper. “She’s got a good soul - I can tell.” Sans took a step back, cheeks painted a barely noticeable sky blue.

 

“* heh. gotta get her home. i’ll see you tomorrow grilbz!”

 

The door to the kitchen hadn’t even closed behind you when you felt the change in the atmosphere on your skin and skeletal arms bring you inward. With your face pressed into the fluff of his hood, your senses were flooded with his scent and the steady hum of magic in the center of his bones. There was that feeling again, twisting through your center and settling in your lower stomach. Alcohol heightened everything, and you allowed yourself to drown in the moment.

 

Hands teasing at a subtle divot in space, Sans hesitated. Your fingers twisted themselves into the fabric, pressing yourself even harder against him. A pleased hum escaped your lips, and momentarily Sans considered peeling you off and chancing the walk home instead. You were drunk, and obviously being much bolder than you would otherwise. Was it selfish of him to take a minute to enjoy this? Silky soft skin crept up against his radius, you taking advantage of the elastic openings of his sleeves. Holy shit.

 

Of it’s own accord, his free arm drifted to wrap around your waist, pressing you to him in a way that was less necessity and more proximity. Just as you were enjoying him, he was getting a thrill out of feeling your heart flutter against his sternum; a small bird trying to escape from within its cage. A sweet intoxicating scent - your scent - washed over him. Your hot breath ghosted over his neck, and Sans felt his eyes drift closed as he shakily leaned back against the door, legs struggling to support him. If he didn’t do anything soon, you were going to make this choice for him.

 

Pushing you away was just about the hardest thing he’d ever done in his life.

 

“* kitten. We’ve… we’ve gotta get home. you’re drunk.” His voice came out more of a low groan than a normal sentence, but you seemed to get the message. As if his bones were hot irons, you snapped back a couple feet. Your face was still flushed and your mind was still pleasantly fuzzy, but the heated look in your eyes had abated. The tile was all of a sudden very interesting. Your hands shook as you signed.

 

~ I-I’m sorry! I got carried away.. I know you were just going to teleport us home, and that you didn’t want to do anything, but- ~

 

You were interrupted by a bony hand firmly gripping your chin and wrenching your face up to meet his eyes. Well, eye. His right pupil was gone, but the left was a flickering cyan, and staring you down with a predatory intensity that made your head swim.

 

“* what makes you think i don’t want to?” He growled, voice an octave lower than his usual tone.

 

You gulped.

 

“* i want this so badly kitten, you have _no_ idea how much i’m trying to control myself. but i don’t want this to be some sort of drunken tryst that we shrug off the next day. once you cross this line… there’s no going back.”


	20. What Are Little Skeletons Made Of? *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! All of you are going to love me and hate me. <3
> 
> This chapter marks the start of where this story finally starts to earn it's rating~ If you aren't here for that, and would like to skip it, the smut is marked at the start and end with *******
> 
> If you want to squeal or scream at/with me, feel free to come visit me on my tumblr - http://sinsational-sinnabon.tumblr.com
> 
> I've been working hard on a very long and complicated lyric comic, which is why my updates have gone down to once a week or so. I'm also trying to get a job for the holidays, but that doesn't mean you guys won't see regular updates from lil old me! As usual - enjoy!

You could cut the thick tension that hung in the air between them with a knife. Sans let it linger for a moment longer, then released your jaw with a dismissive grunt. While before you could read all sorts of emotion in his skeletal visage, his face was now an impassive mask, staring back at you with two steady white lights. Despite the pleasant tingle still making you feel pleasantly buzzed, there was a cold ball of steel settled low in your chest that worked well to sober you. You’d obviously upset him. It was a heat of the moment thing, but you meant it - you really did! Your dismay must have carried over in your expression, as after a second of contact, the lights in his eyes flicked away from you. He patted his sternum solidly twice.

 

“* come here. no funny business this time.”

 

You complied, keeping your hands stiff at your sides as you shuffled forward and pressed yourself flush against him. His body stiffened at your contact, and your chest felt heavier yet. You barely registered as he touched you, a impersonal grip that held tight through the void and released you immediately as the upstairs hallway had materialized around you.

 

~ Sans! I’m sorry!~ You tried to apologize again but he was having none of it, barely looking at you aside from a quick up and down to make sure you had made it through the void alright.

 

~Sans!- ~ Small tears pricked at the corners of your eyes.

 

“* go to bed. we’ll talk about this tomorrow.”

 

His stony tone commanded an immediate compliance, in a way you’d never heard from him before. Your hands stilled and fell to hang awkwardly in front of you, the lump in your throat pressing painfully. He wasn’t even waiting for you to answer, his frame already disappearing inside his darkened room. The door clicked shut with finality. You stood outside for a minute, listening to him moving around behind the barrier between you.

 

“Sans?” You called for him tentatively, voice tight with unshed tears. What could you have done to upset him this badly? More importantly, how could you fix it?

 

Any sound of movement in Sans’ room stopped, but there was no answer.

 

With a choked sob, you headed into your room and collapsed on the bed. You felt unpleasantly dizzy, the room spinning around you even as you pressed your slightly damp face into the sheets. The drunken heat in your stomach had been replaced with a threatening nausea that had you gagging between quiet tears.

 

You were never touching whiskey again.

 

 

* * *

******

 

Sans waited in bated silence standing in front of his door, only daring to move when he heard the click of your door closing behind you. Eye erupting in a fierce blaze, he spun around, a wild hand gesture sending one of his pillows slamming against his wall.

 

“* god _dammit_ sans, you’re such a _fucking idiot_!”

 

His ribs rattled with his heavy breaths, the flames flickering past his vision a persistent reminder of the magic that still buzzed almost painfully in the center of his ribcage and rested teasingly in the hollow of his pelvis. It had taken almost all of his willpower to force it down long enough to teleport the both of you home without you noticing, although he was sure that without the thick layers his coat provided, there was no way you wouldn’t have seen his soul gleaming like a fucking incandescent bulb.

 

“* what am i doing? she _wanted_ me! i could _smell_ how aroused she was getting!” An anguished growl slipped past his clenched teeth. Recalling your sweet scent helped absolutely nothing, and Sans fell back onto his mattress as he ground his bony palms into his sockets. His body and mind were at war, instinct battling reason.

 

“* no! i… i want it to happen, but not like this. i need her to want - i don’t want to take advant- she was drunk!”

 

‘* so?’ He had plenty of reasons “why so” but they were all getting muddled and jumbled up before he could coherently express them. He rolled over on his stomach, his hips instinctively rutting into the mattress as if to further convince him to follow his baser needs. His teeth parted to argue, but all that worked it’s way out was a low groan. He was fighting a losing battle here. Eyelights flickered at the shared wall nervously before grasping at the sheets, shoving a bundle of the thick material between his canines. The fabric was unpleasant against his conjured tongue, already slick with excess magic, but it worked to muffle any sounds he might make. This was mortifying enough without you hearing him through the walls.

 

Huffing a short burst of air from his nose cavity, he finally let his magic coalesce into a thick length that strained at his shorts and pressed into the bed. Already there was a significant relief in his soul; he wasn’t used to having to hold back like this, and it had been a long time since his magic had been this… insistant. A needy whine snuck past the gag as he lifted his hips enough to free his erection, gripping the sensitive organ near the base and using a bony thumb to wipe away a bead of precum that was already dripping from the tip.

 

“* ffuck!” He moaned into the blanket as he firmly worked the shaft. Extra magic coated the very surface of his fingers and softened the friction between bone and magical flesh; blankets brushing the exposed bones of his legs and skull - reminding him of your soft skin, velvet against his heated bones. How would it feel if you were to touch him like this?

 

As he got closer, his movements grew wild, jerky, sweat beading on his skull and a string of curses trying to escape his clenched teeth. He could feel his sharp canines tear at the bulky cotton with how hard he was biting down.

 

_Almost!_

 

He couldn’t stop from bringing to mind the way your small heart beat loudly against his ribcage, so energetic and delicate and irresistibly close to his own soul. He swore he could feel your soul humming too, an alto undercurrent to the rhythm of your pulse.

 

_There!_

 

Your face appeared in the dark behind his clenched eyelids, flushed with a mix of alcohol and embarrassment; eyes lidded with unrestrained curiosity and a bit of lust. The way you were _looking_ at him - it was so tempting,addicting, like a dose of determination straight to the soul. It was- He wanted to... He _had_ to... _!!!_

 

He never got to finish the thought, a burst of light wiping everything but a focused moment of pleasure from his overwhelmed mind. He moaned, low and long, as viscous hot magic coated his fingers and splattered across the sheets. Arms no longer strong enough to support him, he collapsed on the mattress. Both he and the sheets were going to need some serious cleaning tomorrow.

 

But in that moment, he couldn’t bring himself to care.

 

******

 

* * *

 

 

Morning came eventually, and with it, a splitting headache that gripped the nape of your neck in a merciless grip. The dizziness had gratefully gone away, but the nausea had gotten a hundred times worse, sending you rocketing out of bed and downstairs as your last meal threatened to rise. Desperate hands grasped at the doorknob, but when you tried to turn it, it stopped with a loud click. Locked!? You heard someone moving around in there, and pounded at the door, hoping they would sense your urgency. It was probably Papyrus, it was still early after all right? Way too early for -

 

“* hold on, i’m coming.”

 

Shit. No, anyone but him. The knob turned in your hand from the inside.

 

You couldn’t face him yet. Eyes wide, you considered turning and running, but another lurch of your stomach ground you where you stood.

 

The door opened inward, and the short skeleton himself stood in the doorway, wrapped in a blue towel up to mid-sternum. His sockets widened in shock before trying to settle back into a neutral expression. He failed, instead radiating a mix of distinctly uncomfortable and concerned. His hand tightened on his towel, hitching it a bit higher on his ribs.

 

“* hey… kit? Are you alright..?”

 

Nononono-wait! Wait!

 

It didn’t wait.

 

With a wet sounding gag, a good amount of whiskey and stomach bile shot out from between your fingers and drenched Sans from mid-chest downwards. You could only stare in horror as he froze, eyelights blinking down and out as he processed the puke seeping easily through his towel and pooling on the floor, coating his lower legs and feet. He stood stock still for an agonizing few seconds before his face slowly rose to meet yours.

 

“*......ah.” It looked like he was shocked into nonchalance, unsure of how to react. This couldn’t get any worse. You wished for the earth to swallow you whole, never to be seen again. You couldn’t even hide behind your hands because they were also covered in sick. The sound of the coffeemaker finishing in the kitchen snapped you out of it. Even signing felt gross.

 

~ Oh my god holy shit I am SO so so so so sorry i didn’t mean to i mean obviously but i wasn’t expecting you to be in there and i couldn’t hold it and-~

 

You felt his hands grip yours in an effort to stop you, and you were sure the shudder that went through him at your slick skin would have been practically miazaki-esque if he possessed the skin or hair for it. At the last second, he realized that with both hands occupied, his towel was in imminent danger. You were jerked forward as he pinned it with his upper arm. Emergency avoided.

 

“* it’s… fine…” He didn’t sound fine, but he also didn’t sound mad, so that was good… you thought. “* let’s just get cleaned up...again.” A resigned sigh escaped from between his teeth as he about- faced and headed back into the bathroom, shifting his grip so that he once again had a handle on his towel, but also had you in tow.  Once inside with the door shut behind you, he sat you down on the toilet and grabbed a washcloth from underneath the sink, doing his best to run it under the sink with one free hand.

 

You felt horrible. After everything that happened last night - you remembered every embarrassing detail - you ended up puking all over him. And now here he was helping you even now, wiping off your hands and face tenderly with the damp cloth. Eyes trained on the tile floor, you let out a small sigh.

 

“I.. I really _am_ sorry Sans…” From the way his body tensed, you could tell he was just about to brush it off again.  “About just now… and last night.”

 

His eyes were stubbornly focused on your hands, the rag moving a bit more harshly against your fingers. He finally spoke up, voice a bit gruff.

 

“*i figured as much. ‘ts my fault really. i trusted grillby to look after you and well… let’s just say it’d be great if i never have to re-live this particular experience.”

 

He finished cleaning you up and got back up from where he was kneeling in front of you. His eyes met yours briefly and you were surprised to see how dim they were.

 

“Wait!”

 

Sans had just turned the shower back on, his wrist underneath the stream to gauge the temperature. He half turned to regard you, eyebone raised.

 

“* can’t this wait until i’m not covered in… half digested food and stomach juices?”

 

You winced. It sounded even worse like that. Resolve faltering, you nodded.

 

It only took a minute for the water to heat up, and with a cautious glance your way, he stepped into the shower towel and all, pulling the curtain so that there was no gap at all between either wall. A moment later you saw his bare arm reach out and unceremoniously dump the soggy dirty thing on the floor.

Blood rushed to your face. There was no reason to be embarrassed about Sans being naked on the other side of the thin curtain, he was a fucking skeleton. You’d seen like… 20 anatomical models in your life drawing courses, and plenty more halloween decorations in yards before that. This was exactly the same… except it really wasn’t. What it did do was make what you were about to say even more uncomfortable.

 

It took you a minute to work up the nerve. You cursed agreeing to wait; now you had to actually say it, instead of signing it which was so much easier. Your voice cracked shamefully in the middle of your admission.

 

“I.. I’m not sorry about -” Oh god this was mortifying to say. “about coming on to you. I’m sorry that I did it when I was drunk and didn’t ask you first if you were okay with it.”

 

There. Your face now resembled an overly ripe tomato.

 

For a few excruciatingly long minutes, all you heard was the steady stream of water. Had he even heard you? You didn’t think you could repeat it.

 

With a screech of metal, the shower shut off and a skull peered out from behind the curtain. If you were continuing your person to fruit comparisons, then Sans made a pretty good blueberry. His sockets were almost circles and the lights that sat in the center were tiny and impossibly bright. The only description to how he looked was “complete disbelief.”

 

“*y-yeah?”

 

Not trusting your voice or your hands, you nodded. If there was a fruit bluer than a blueberry, Sans now resembled it.

 

“* close your eyes for a minute.”

 

You heard him noisily scramble out of the shower and grab a new, non-puked on towel. Then silence.

 

“* … okay… open them.”

 

His voice was much closer than you were expecting, and when you opened your eyes, you found him kneeling directly in front of you, flushed and smiling and nervous. Both of his hands were clenched in his towel, as if unsure what to do with them.

 

“* so… if i were to ask you now...if i could say…” His eyes dropped down to linger on your lips before meeting your own again. “* uh.. kiss you? what would you say?”

 

Sans was now very _very_ close. You reminded your body in vain that breathing was a thing it needed to do to live.

 

“...I’d… say yes.”

 

His eyes stared searchingly into yours, looking for any sign of uncertainty. He would just have to lean forward a couple inches, and you would be…

 

His eyelids drifted shut and he felt his body unconsciously closing the gap.

 

His teeth met your palm and his eyes shot open, brow scrunching in confusion as he quickly backed off.

 

You held your hand protectively in front of your face, which was sporting a rather sheepish grin. Your other one joined it as it lowered to chest level.

 

~ Still yes, but maybe we should wait until _after_ I’ve brushed my teeth. ~


	21. B-I-N-G-O

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man! A week passed with me hardly knowing it! I thank all of you for your patience! 
> 
> I've been hard at work on my lyric comic and preparing for Inktober, but I promised myself I'd update this at least once a week if not more!
> 
> Again, hit me up on tumblr if you like Undertale or wanna hang! My 150 follower celebration is coming up, where you guys could get rewards! Nothing huge, but small writing prompts, sketches, and the such. :) 
> 
> http://sinsational-sinnabon.tumblr.com
> 
> Once again, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

 

It was a beautiful day. Papyrus shifted the heavy bag of armor from one arm to the other, enjoying the sound of clinking metal. He absolutely loved the ornate filigreed suit he received as part of the inner guard. Not only did it bespeak his status, but it made his bones look especially white and strong. He wasn't the captain, that was reserved for Undyne, but over the last couple years he had quickly risen through the ranks and was now one of a small group of guards that worked directly for the King. It sounded very impressive, but as far as actual guard duty went, most days were rather uneventful. Most of today had been spent taking watch in front of the throne room, allowing high officials in for audience and chit chatting with the Canine Guard. Why anyone would dare try and assault the godlike entity was beyond him, but better safe than sorry. It was more tradition than anything, he was told, carried over from the dark dreary days underground when tensions were high and humans were a rare but still worrisome threat.

 

While Asgore after absorbing the seven souls was extremely powerful, he was also basically the same monster as before. Taking over towns beyond this one was perfectly within his abilities, but this town held everything they needed, and he wasn't going to risk the wellbeing of his citizens for an unnecessary show of force. And even if it had taken a horrifying amount of human sacrifice to make all of this possible, the king wasn't willing to shed any more blood unless absolutely needed. Thus, it was dire that news of the towns take over was kept at the highest level of secrecy. It was luck that the small town at the base of Mt. Ebbot was set far away from everything; nestled into a pocket of forest that hid all but the tallest buildings. The nearest neighboring town was miles away, but the reputation the mountain held was not a kind one, and the town didn't get many visitors. It took a few months, as all humans who came by were intercepted and either "dealt with" or shuffled into the newly budding slave trade. When enough people started to not return, the town itself adopted the curse of the mountain, and was too, left alone. 

 

While escapees from their own population were common, it was a serious matter that one never be allowed to cross the town border. The monsters had made that mistake only once; a week or so after the initial take over. A middle aged male had slipped out of containment and run all the way to the next town over. Days later a small group of armed men had approached the Overground. Such a weak show of force was nothing more than a cautionary measure to assuage the man’s crazy talk; Monsters were the works of fiction are fairy tale of course. 

 

Papyrus had gained his first EXP that day. He remembered it well - as it was also the day he was drafted into the Guard. He hadn't meant to kill the human, but he spotted them lifting one of their loud killing sticks at one of the guards, who was distracted by another. He sent a series of blue bones the man's way and pinned him to the ground; told him that as long as he didn't move, that he would be perfectly fine. Panicked, the soldier ripped himself open in a matter of seconds, blood drenching the ground. He was just an average citizen then, trying to help out a fellow monster. The guard had seen his skill and strength and made it a priority to place him. The new guardsman was elated; at least that was how he was supposed to feel. His lifelong dream, realized. His strength commended. He was given a shiny set of armor embossed with the delta rune and was even sent home with an accompaniment to tell his brother the news! Sans had smiled wide, and told him how proud he was of his cool brother. He thought Papyrus wouldn’t notice the tension behind the set of his jaw, or the shadow that momentarily flashed through his eyes when the guard relayed just how he had caught their attention. But the tall skeleton hadn’t gotten to where he was by being unobservant. In fact, try as he might to hide it, Sans would never look at his younger brother quite the same way ever again.

 

But it paid well, and he had no reason to refuse such an esteemed honor - so he stayed.

 

Luckily, he hadn’t had to use any deadly force since then. His strong bones were more than enough to wrangle up most humans, and his armour protected him from any flying fists. It hardly came to that - as noted before, Papyrus had a way with humans. Just once was he called away from his post; a human had escaped on the north side of town and was at risk of escaping the borders of town. This usually wouldn’t be a task for such an esteemed guard, but Papyrus had gotten a reputation for being quite persuasive and talented at working with the servants. Today’s escaped ward was a young woman; no ulterior motive besides getting away. She was easy enough to track down in the woods that surrounded them, crying in a small clearing with a sprained ankle. Papyrus had talked her down and she allowed him to carry her back to her residence. While the monster that answered the door seemed pleasant, he still felt bad as he handed her over with instructions on how to care for her ankle. She had reminded him a lot of you. 

 

Pausing on the sidewalk, Papyrus set down his bag and ruffled through it, pulling out his well worn but loved red scarf. Deftly, he tied it around his neck with flair. As he stood, it fluttered behind him in the early afternoon breeze. The weather was still hot, not at all the season for scarves, but he was nearing home and Sans hated it when Papyrus didn’t wear his scarf. He wasn’t entirely sure why, but some of his brother’s worst episodes were from finding the scrap of red fabric around the house when he forgot it for work, or took it off to shower. If keeping his older brother happy meant having a slightly sticky neck, he would make that sacrifice. 

 

“Oof!”

 

A solid weight bumped into his right side and bounced back clumsily. Sockets shot upward and saw that in his distracted thinking, he had walked directly into one of his fellow citizens. He vaguely recognized the monster as one of Sans’ friends, or something like that. He knew they worked together in the park sometimes. 

 

“I’m very sorry sir! I wasn’t paying attention to where I was walking.” Papyrus held out a hand and shook the monster's paw in a semi-formal apology. “I believe you know my brother Sans? You look familiar.”

 

Recognition dawned on the other monsters face as well, and his long ears perked as he suddenly reached to pull a crumpled envelope from his bag.

 

“Oh yes! Sans! I know him from Underground, and our carts are nearby in the park. I was actually looking to give him this, but I hadn’t seen him recently. I guess our schedules are just off.” He shoved the letter into Papyruses hand, who brought it up to his face to read the writing scrawled on the front.

 

“What is it?”

 

The monster scritched at the fur on his neck; he looked like he was in a hurry to be anywhere but here. “It’s just a party, a get together for some… work friends. He’ll know what it’s about.” Picking up the last of the letters that had fallen to the sidewalk, he hopped from foot to foot uneasily.

 

“I gotta go man - thanks again for delivering that for me. It’s tonight so it’s a bit urgent. See ya!” Not waiting for a response, he bounded off and around the corner. Papyrus stared after him, quite perplexed, for a moment, but eventually shoved the letter in his pocket and walked swiftly the last few blocks home. He would deliver it, but for some reason something wasn’t sitting quite right with him about that monster’s behavior. He fumbled with the keys before unlocking the front door and cramming his tall frame into the entryway. Sans had some unusual friends, and it wasn’t his place to pry. Speaking of which…

 

Papyrus glanced around the house, most notably at how...clean it was. He knew it was Sans’ day off from work, and normally both of you would be up by now, wrecking every attempt to clean he made every afternoon. Ironically, for a "cleaning servant", you made almost as many messes nowadays as Sans.

 

“Sans? Human?” He set his bag down and peeked into the living room. Pristine. As he walked back towards the stairs, hushed whispering caught his ear. He followed it to the bathroom door. It was too quiet to hear, but it was definitely his brother… and you? By the crash that followed his questioning knock, he surmised that they hadn’t noticed how close he was. He held back a chuckle as the ruckus inside continued for a minute longer before the door opened and a damp but otherwise clothed skeleton dashed out, slamming it quickly behind him.

 

“* hey bro. you’re home early!” A bead of sweat trickled down his temple; or was that water? Papyrus took in the messy countenance of his older brother, who was usually disheveled, but in more of a casual way… not a “I got dressed in 20 seconds way.” He was also way too flushed for just having taken a shower, and his smile was definitely a touch too plastered on. He was  _ obviously _ hiding something. 

 

“Sans… it’s 2:23 pm. I’m actually home a bit later than usual.” 

 

The next drop was definitely nervous sweat.

 

“* heh. fancy that. guess i got too  _ sauced _ last night and slept in.” Ugh. Barely five minutes home and already with the horrid puns. If he had eyes, he would’ve rolled them. In lieu, he exaggeratedly groaned for Sans’ sake.

 

“Enough!” He fished the envelope out of his pocket and handed it to Sans, who by all means was giving off the impression that he had gotten away with something. “I ran into one of your friends today - he said he knew you anyway. Rabbit monster, seemed to be in a hurry. He told me to give this to you. Said it’s an.. Invitation to something.” 

 

Circumstances forgotten, Sans frowned and studied the invitation, using a bony finger to pry open the envelope and taking out the folded up paper inside. Straightening his jacket unconsciously, he drifted off to the living room to read under better lighting. Once Sans was out of sight, Papyrus let a mischievous grin creep onto his face. 

 

“Oh! You can come out now Human.”

 

He could clearly hear Sans tripping over the couch and falling flat onto his face. Chuckling under his breath, Papyrus headed upstairs to change and to save the poor human the walk of shame. 

 

Sometimes, acting naive had it’s perks.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Sans had gotten his bearings by the time you felt safe enough to venture forth from the bathroom. You  _ did _ , in actuality, brush your teeth and shower while you’d waited - but the moment had passed. Well, it was more like neither of you dare do anything while Papyrus was home. That skeleton had the absolute worst timing.

 

A rustle of paper directed you towards the couch, where the short skeleton was hunched over focused on the invitation in his hand. You could see his eye lights flick back and forth as he read line to line. You’d heard Papyrus say it was an invitation, but Sans certainly didn’t look happy. He glanced up at you as you approached.

 

~ What is it?~

 

Fingers rasped over his skull and he exaggeratedly sagged back against the couch. You settled in beside him, trying to read what you could from where it rested in his lap.

 

“* it’s blue bunny. he wants us to come to his party tonight.”

 

Us? As in, him, you, and Papyrus? You asked as much, but he shook his head and sneered at the paper as if it had personally offended him.

 

“* no, as in you and i. it’s a owner/slave get together. ever since he met you that one time he would not shut up about getting us to come to hang out with some of the other master/servant pairs. i was hoping he’d let this go - i’ve been scheduling my hot dog stand days so carefully!”

 

You patted him reassuringly on the shoulder and pried the abused invitation from his grip. The details were brief, just the place, time, and that owners had to bring their servants. You sighed inwardly. Geez, weren’t you popular lately? 

 

~Do we… have to go?~ You were pretty sure you knew the answer, but the look Sans gave you was thankful you were as just as unenthused as he was. 

 

“* he knows we got the invite thanks to paps, and if we don’t, blue will know we’re up to something fishy for sure.” Bringing his palms to his face, he dragged them down his cheeks with a drawn out groan. 

 

You hated seeing him upset. You had all sorts of bad vibes about going to a party held by that creepy monster, but you kind of owed it to Sans. What's the worst that could happen? Your eyes brightened as you got an idea on how to cheer up the anguished skeleton. You tapped his leg insistently until he gave you his attention. 

 

“* sorry kitten. this isn’t gonna be a good time for either of us.”

 

A smile tugged at the corner of your mouth. 

 

~ I understand. Blue would be  _ hopping _ mad if we didn’t show.~

 

Sans just looked at you for a second, awestruck, before breaking down into hearty laugher. He pushed you playfully to the other end of the couch, but you quickly righted yourself and scooted right back over. You couldn’t stop yourself from joining in and pretty soon the both of you were leaning on each other, laughing so hard tears flowed down your face. Several more rabbit puns were made, and the sound of Papyrus screaming upstairs only spurned you on further. Smiling and out of breath, Sans wiped the last blue tear from his face. You were still struggling to stop when he leaned over and used a smooth white thumb to brush away your own tears that had escaped down your cheek. Your heart skipped a beat at the tender act.

 

His gaze, while still amused, was fond; the white of his eyes blown wide and hazy. He wasn’t overly close, and there was nothing about this particular moment that expected you to make a move, but you pressed forward anyway. Literally. Your hand caught at the fabric of his shirt and pulled him very slightly forward as you arched over to plant a chaste kiss right on the center of his teeth. Better late than never you supposed. His magic tingled against your lips briefly before you pulled back to look at the starstruck skeleton.

 

Like spilled ink bleeding onto paper, you watched as Sans face turned an impressive shade of cyan. His ever present grin threatened to split his face as the reality of it all hit him. He brought both of his hands up to rest on your heated cheeks, thumbs making small circles on your cheekbones. 

 

“* heh. today was a good day.”

 

You wrinkled your nose.

 

~Sans! I threw up on you earlier!~

 

He hooked an arm around your shoulder and brought you into a clumsy one armed grapple. You muffled your complaints into his jacket.

 

“* don’t care. best day.”

 

You could feel his ribcage rise and fall as he laughed silently. 

 

~We have to go to that wretched party later!~

 

“* doesn’t matter.” You could practically feel the smugness dripping off of him. Leaning the rest of your weight into his chest, you gave up fighting to escape from his embrace. You were sure he could feel you smiling into him.

 

~You’re such a bonehead Sans.~

 

His arm, still wrapped around you, squeezed your upper arm. You could hear and feel him hum happily.

 

“* if bein a bonehead means i get to do stuff like this with you, i think i’m okay with that.” He paused, as if considering something.

 

“* hey kit, does that make you my  _ vertabae  _ now ?”

 

You hoped the back of your neck wasn’t as red as it felt. 

 

“Shut it bone boy.” It sounded a lot less threatening spoken into a layer of plush hoodie.

  
Suave motherfucker. 


	22. Cry Baby Buntin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOOO I'M BACK BABY! We were hit by Hurricane Matthew - not badly at least - so I was without wifi for a couple days. I had this finished like, yesterday. It's officially the longest chapter yet, which I hope is alright. 
> 
> As usual, my tumblr is http://sinsational-sinnabon.tumblr.com if you like general undertale memery or would like updates on fic things. I do post nsfw content but I do tag. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this particular chapter, as I feel it brings yet another level to the monsters we see in this universe.
> 
> Thank you all for your continuous support! <3

If you had your way, you would’ve spent the rest of the evening cuddling with Sans and soaking in the fact that you were … on at least vaguely intimate terms with the lazy skeleton. You hesitated to use the word “dating”; it sounded daunting and important and while it was established that both of you wanted something more than friendship you still weren’t sure what all this meant to him. It wasn’t like you had any knowledge of monster dating customs after all. Or monster customs in general. This same train of thought followed you into your room and ambled distractedly in the back of your mind as you picked out a suitable outfit for this party… thing.

 

~Hey Sans, what kind of party is this anyway? ~

 

He had looked over and given you an exaggerated shrug, although you could classify his smile as “classically uneasy”. Either he didn’t know, or he did know, and thought it better that you didn’t.

 

You thumbed through the selection of dresses and jackets in your dresser. How the hell were you supposed to dress for a party you knew nothing about? All you had to go on is that Blue was a creepy fuckwit and that it was a monster/slave thing. The skin above your nose wrinkled as the image of your night ending up in some monster gangbang flashed through the list of possible options. Not if you had anything to say about it. Did monsters even have kinks? How could they? They all looked so different! Some seemed to be more animalistic, while others were otherworldly floating geometric shapes... or SLIME. You tossed another shirt into the “maybe” pile growing on your bed. Hmm. Maybe paired with the right pants… On that note, monsters _obviously_ had sex, but _how?_ Did the slimes have dicks hiding somewhere? What about that ghost you had seen last week? Ghost dicks?? Did _Sans_ even have a --

 

Nope! End of that self discussion. You begrudgingly pulled on nicer than normal but not flashy underwear. I mean… it matched. That counted for something right? Better safe than sorry in the risky business of party guests seeing _your_ risky business.

 

The longer you stood around in your underwear trying to decipher the secrets of your wardrobe, the more confusing and frustrating it got. There was a foot high pile of fabric on your bed and the clock was meandering its way to half past 8. It was after the curfew, but that was something slaves with non-teleporting skeleton caretakers had to worry about. In a moment of exasperation, you closed your eyes and jammed your hand into the imposing clothes hoard.

 

The next thing I pick up is what I’m wearing. No take backs.

 

You opened your eyes. Ah goddammit.

 

True to your word, you stepped into the black A-line dress and zipped it up with a little difficulty. It was cute, one of your favorites actually from the very first shopping trip to Muffets, but you’d never found the opportunity to wear it anywhere. The soft fabric pushed up what chest you had appealingly, the halter style straps tying together behind your neck and dangling down your spine halfway down your back. The hem was delicate and layered asymmetrically, ending just above your knees. You stepped in front of the mirror and did a little spin, feeling like a little girl again as the fabric swept up in a circle around your waist. Despite being a solid color, it managed to look dressy. Now for the final touch. Your hands lingered at your waist, tying the crossed section of small purple ribbons on each side into cute bows. It gave the effect of a slight corset, which your anime weeb self admittedly loved. Slipping into one of your couple pairs of shoes, a cute pair of black boots, you counted yourself ready.

 

It was hardly a few minutes later that Sans called for you downstairs. Ready or not, you were going to do this. Pep talking yourself into a state of forced confidence, you made your way downstairs and met the skeleton in the main hallway. He spent an uncomfortable amount of time looking you over while badly pretending that he wasn’t. The flush of blue high on his cheekbones betrayed him. You raised an eyebrow at him teasingly, wondering if he was actually going to say anything. His hands gestured at you helplessly.

 

“* you look ah.. pretty nice. dressed up like that. in that particular thing that you’re wearing. the dress. “

 

You hadn’t intended it, but hot damn this was satisfying revenge for him being such a suave little shit earlier. You let him fumble for a few more seconds before saving him with a quickly signed appreciation, although your own cheeks burned at the compliment. He gave you one last flushed apologetic look before shoving his hands in his pockets; an action that took him a couple tries as he was - for once - not wearing his trademark jacket. He too seemed to decide on “slightly dressy casual”, and you had to admit he wore it well. A light blue button up adorned his top half with the buttons buttoned one off near the top, the sleeves rolled loosely up to mid radius, and he was wearing jeans. _Jeans_! You didn’t even know he owned this stuff. As if noticing your stare, he cleared his throat unnecessarily.

 

“* how bad is it? i borrowed this shirt from papyrus. that man has no right being so tall, these sleeves come down like four inches past my hands.”

 

Oh god he was embarrassed. That was… horribly endearing. You stepped closer and he stepped back instinctively. You lifted your hands to reassure him.

 

~You look... good.~ That’s it, be casual. It’s not like things are all that different just because you’re on kissing status. His back was too close to the wall to move away again as you advanced. That didn’t stop him from fidgeting though, his hands finally securely shoved into the dark depths of his jeans pockets.

 

~Just, ugh, stay still and let me fix your buttons. They're misaligned.~ At this he finally let you fix the blasted things, your small fingers working deftly to unbutton and re-button the line of shimmery blue fasteners. There. You stepped back to admire your work and deemed him suitable... that was a pun, wasn't it? Damn you Sans. His eye lights nervously flickered up and caught your gaze. Neither of you wanted to do this. But besides risking your cover, this could be good info for the Human Independance Group.

 

"*i guess... we're ready then?"

 

Neither of you made any move to leave. You finally broke the silence, metaphorically anyway.

 

~ We’re probably just overthinking it. It could just be a regular get together. And if anything _does_ happen… well, you’re there so I’ll be okay.” You were surprised at the sudden flash of determination that contorted his face and blacked out his pupils as his hand shot out to grab your arm.

 

“* **_n o t h i n g_ **  is going to happen to you. not on my watch. you know that, don’t you? that i’ll keep you safe?”

 

Your heart fluttered briefly at the conviction in his voice. Nodding shyly, you wiggled out of his grip and assumed the preferred position for void travel, which involved your hands around his shoulders and his likewise around your waist. It wasn’t the first time you’d had to travel like this, but despite the lingering tension, this time his grip felt a little more casual; more like an embrace than an awkward hold. It was… nice.

 

For about three seconds. Then the arctic chill of the void hit your exposed skin and you found yourself wondering if this was why Sans wore that damned jacket everywhere. The trip was short though, and in moments you were outside of a mid sized house that you were about 80% sure was painted a light yellow. It was hard to tell at night. You regretfully pulled away from the warm skeleton, the last of the shivers fading. You weren’t among friends here. It was back to being Slave and Owner. Your collar all of a sudden felt heavy and constricting around your neck, and you wiggled a finger underneath it to reassure yourself that it was still loose, the warm leather comforting instead of restraining. As you walked up the sidewalk to the door, you felt his bony hand brush against the back of your neck, as if reminding himself of the same thing. When you had first gotten it, it had signified the fact that you belonged to Sans, in every sense of the matter. The both of you had hated it with every fibre of your being. While the public meaning hadn’t changed, the small band of fabric became something of an unspoken promise between you. That he would care for you. Protect you. That you were visibly his, but, in a different way; a way that was not entirely unwelcome. The touch was gone in an instant, his pale fingers a bright white in the moonlight as he rapped sharply on the wooden door. You were a couple minutes late, just as you’d planned.

 

A young girl, maybe a couple years older than you, opened the door. Her brown hair lay in a messy bob that framed her tawny face, which was set into a small scowl. Bright green eyes peered curiously at first Sans, and then you.

 

“Nicole? Who is it?”

 

A familiar blue furred face shoved itself into the narrow opening and wrestled the door open the rest of the way when he saw who was standing outside. A bright smile lit up his face.

 

“Sans! You came! I was beginning to think that you never got my letter, or… that you decided not to come.” His ears, perked at your arrival, drooped slightly before raising once more. He gestured you inside into a cheery looking hallway. “But no matter! Come in! Everyone else is anxious to meet you and … “ The rabbit looked pointedly at you and back to Sans.

 

For the billionth time, Sans regretted his poor name choice.

 

“* ‘s kit.” He shortened, coughing at the same time so all that came out was a halfhearted mumble. Sans didn’t offer anything beyond that, even at their host’s confused look. But by the look of it, he didn’t really care much anyway, and brushed it off with a smile and a shrug.

 

“You always were a funny guy Sans. Looking cute as ever, little miss.” See? He’d likely already forgotten. He winked at you, and you swore you could feel Sans growling low in his chest. This was already going south.

 

You felt a tugging at your dress hem, and craned your neck to see Nicole motioning for you to come with her, a bright smile now on her features. Shrinking back closer to Sans, you shook your head. No way were you getting separated. You’d just gotten here! You felt Sans’s arm tense, fighting the instinct to put a protective arm around your shoulders. She looked crestfallen, but quickly cheered up again when Blue seemed unperturbed, leading your small group to the living room.

 

On one hand, there was a relieving lack of bondage gear and sex toys. The set up looked very, well, normal! Extra seats were pulled in from the kitchen and outside, set up anywhere they could fit around the couch and chairs. There was a table with snacks and despite the rooms occupants being a diverse variety of monsters and a couple collared humans, you could’ve walked into a movie cliche football party. Instead of being comforting, the forced casualness only managed to put you on edge. At your entrance, everyone paused their conversations and turned their attentions to the newcomers. You could see recognition in most of their eyes. The more eyes trained on the pair of you, the tenser the skeleton beside you became.

 

“Hey everybody! Look who showed up!” There was a chorus of Hi’s and Hello’s throughout the room. “Most of you know Sans; we used to work near each other in the underground. This sweet thing is his Human. She’s a bit quiet, and shy, so treat her nice now ya hear?”

 

You tried not to frown at his saccharine schtick. You’d show him shy. While the introduction wasn’t entirely different from Grillby’s, it was painfully apparent that the monsters here shared a different mindset when it came to humans. They didn’t seem… unfriendly, but they way they looked at you was the mild indifference of being shown someone’s new pet. Trying to keep your hand movements minimal, you signed to Sans. The other monsters might not take well to you having some kind of secret language with your owner. A slight shift of his eyes was enough to tell that he’d noticed.

 

“* hey blue. where are all the other..” He rolled his shoulders stiffly. “* uh, other humans? did some people not bring theirs?” It was obvious that he was trying to avoid using any overly offensive terms around you, while also trying to fit in as best he could. The last time you’d been to a gathering this tense was a few christmases back, when your grandparents decided that politics was an appropriate pre-dinner conversation. Turns out the lot of you shared… different views. As if on cue, you saw Nicole appear in the kitchen doorway, eyes picking you out behind Sans. What was her deal?

 

You jumped when a warm paw set itself comfortably on your shoulder. You forced your glare into a passively neutral face before meeting eyes with Blue, who looked completely at ease. “Most of the other servants are in the kitchen. We realize that it must get frustrating to need to be around ya owner at all times, and vice versa. That’s part of the reason we host these things. There’ll be time for socializing later, but for now we allow the humans some time to be amongst their own.”

 

That was… surprisingly considerate. A small soft hand tangled itself in yours as Blue’s human once again tried to pry you away. You could tell Sans was uncomfortable with it, but you didn’t really have a choice.

 

“* hey! Where are you goin with her?”

 

Blue’s lithe body swept around in an attempt to block you off, slinging an arm around Sans’ bony shoulder. “Don’t worry Sans. She's in good hands. Why don't you come sit down and we can catch up a bit?"

 

Their words faded as you were guided out of the main room and into the adjoining kitchen.

 

 

* * *

 

 

By the time Sans managed to twist himself away from the rabbit monsters well meaning, but strong grip, you were already gone. He cursed silently. You had trusted him, and he'd already allowed the two of you to be separated. What if there was something lying in wait outside the room? What if it was a trap? What if-?

 

A vice like grip on his upper arm cut through his panicked thoughts and he turned his skull slightly, looking upon the narrowed eyes of his host. His buck teeth clicked, annoyed. "Sans. You've been around that human for months now. Come hang with your own kind for a while?" Any further protests died on Sans' tongue and he took a seat on one of the patio chairs pulled in from the back porch. Blue took a seat on an empty couch cushion to the right of a sleek black feline with a human male on her lap. He momentarily met his eye, but the human immediately cast his head down and away. With nowhere else to look, he was forced to give Blue his attention. Vaguely aware of the furry monster's attempts at conversation, he nodded and hummed as needed, but his mind was constantly fixated at how many minutes ticked by since you had left his side. It was only after an extended moment of silence that he realized that Blue hadn't spoken for some time now. The lights of his eyes rose from where they had been lost in the wrinkled fabric canyons of Papyrus's dress shirt.

 

What he saw however, greatly surprised him. While the bunny had seemed almost angry before, and jovial while talking, the monster in front of him was nothing short of absolutely, positively dejected. Ears hung like wet socks over his shoulders, and a little pink nose twitched uncontrollably. Sans wasn't sure if Blue's eyes were naturally liquid brown or if those were tears swimming in the corners.

 

"* uh.. shit. i'm sorry blue, what were you saying? what's wrong?" He tried to backtrack and recall if the bunny had been discussing anything upsetting, but it was all just a faint blur. Long blunted front teeth gnawed at his lower lip before he sprang off the couch and hastily made his way up a staircase shoved into the back corner, previously unnoticed. Sans didn't particularly want to, but he felt obligated to rise as well and follow the distraught monster. He was pretty sure that's what Blue intended, and when he rounded the top step to see the monster curled up against the wall, he knew his instinct had been correct.

 

His spine made a dull clunk against the wall as he slid down to sit beside him, stretching his legs out along the hallway. That... was as far as he got. "Guy Talk" wasn't really his specialty. In fact, he preferred to keep all of his problems shoved so deep down they would never see the light of day. The silence stretched on, only interrupted by the occasional sniffle and the dull murmur of the rest of the monsters continuing their conversations downstairs like nothing had happened. Sans found it funny. A minute ago he would've given all the gold in his pocket for the guy to stop talking, but now that he was listening, he couldn't "hare" a word. Hah. He'd have to remember that one.

 

"Where did I go wrong Sans?" The bunny started, rubbing his forearm harshly against his damp eyes. "We used to be such good friends in the underground. You would sell your crummy hot dogs, and I would sell nice cream, and we'd hang out whenever you went on your "union sanctioned breaks". Sans froze, not quite sure where this was going. His eyes stayed safely neutral on the opposite wall.

 

"Then the barrier fell, and we got to the surface, and so much happened so quickly. It was beautiful, better than I could've imagined. Remember when the stars came out for the first time? How we all just stood on the mountain and took it all in? It was like a dream." Sans couldn't help but nod reverently as the memory of that first night came to the front of his skull. But he stayed quiet, hoping Blue would continue.

 

"It was a bit hard to keep track of everyone during the take over, but even after everything settled down; after I moved into this place, and reopened my cart in the park... well, you just drifted Sans."

 

His skull spun sideways so quickly his spinal vertebrae cracked. What? 

 

"* what?"

 

The rabbit was now smiling sadly. "No one saw you for weeks. Your brother just said you were overwhelmed with the surface, but even after you started coming around again... you were different. You would talk to people, sure, but never anything more than basic smalltalk, and you'd never hang out with anyone anymore. You just went to work and then back home. We were all worried about you. Especially me."

 

His head was spinning. This was... not at all what he expected. The attack on the town was all a blur to him. Papyrus had said he'd just passed out, but he knew there was more to it. His younger brother refused to tell him what. He remembered there being a whole lot of humans, and something about his magic, and he was in no mental state to leave the house for weeks in fear of having another relapse.

 

As if that wasn't enough, monsters had started claiming the leftover humans from the attack, treating them as some type of novelty pets. He obviously had mixed feelings about this, when the taller skeleton had come home incredibly upset and confided the issue to him. Of course he shared his brother's sentiments, that after knowing Frisk as well as he did the practice of owning a human rubbed his spine the wrong way. But his subconscious, crippling fear of humans? The result of seeing everyone he cared about slaughtered by the same kid he befriended? Yeah that made the casual carting around of humans in public a whole nother issue. His brother had done a great job in slowly desensitizing him enough to start up his hot dog stand again, but even then it was a struggle to get through the day without having a mini panic attack every time a monster would come by with their servant.

 

Compared to that, friendships and his social life just kind of fell along the wayside. He didn't realize anyone cared to be quite honest. Even in the underground, he never got close to anyone- not really. There was no purpose to it. He just plastered on a smile and told a bunch of stupid jokes. The _same_  stupid jokes. Again. And again. And again.

 

"Anyway," Blue continued, taking Sans' silence as understanding, "I was psyched when you came to my stand that day with her. A human of all things! I thought, finally- something we could connect over; bridge this stupid gap that's grown between us. I felt like I was being given another shot, that you were reaching out. You could come over, and join our hang outs, and everything could be good again."

 

"* blue..." He could hear the frustration in his voice, although he recognized it as more self directed than anything.

 

"But I went and fucked that up too somehow?! Because call me paranoid, but since then, there hasn't been a single day that you opened your cart at the same time as my stand." Scrunching his knees beneath him, the monster scooted sideways to properly look Sans in the eye.

 

"So what is it? At least tell me if it was something I did?"

 

The small bone protruding above his nasal cavity twitched.

 

"* it was nothing! i mean, not the first time. that was just me... having personal issues. but when we talked a couple weeks ago - when you - argh. never mind."

 

Blunt claws scratched him through the thin fabric of Papyrus's shirt as it was gripped tightly. "No! Spit it out!"

 

His own fingers gripped the paw on his chest, stuck halfway between prying off the offending touch and keeping it in place. He was stuck somewhere between hesitation and anger, with the latter quickly winning out.

 

"* you- you- that gross stuff you said that day at the park! you have a human slave!" He spat the word forcefully out from between his teeth like it pained him.

 

Blue's eyes momentarily widened, confusion evident. "Yeah? So do you. I saw the way you were looking at her too, so you were obviously into her."

 

Sans could feel his teeth grinding all the way into the base of his eye sockets.

 

"* she's not- it's not-" He stammered, torn between keeping his secret and standing up for your personhood.

 

"* i would never do anything without her consent." He finally ground out.

 

The hold on his shirt abruptly loosened, hand falling away and clutched to the rabbit's chest, his dark eyes wide and shocked. "You think I force Nicole to sleep with me?"

 

With that response, he was now only about 95% sure, but he nodded anyway, eyes stony and teeth set in a leery grimace. Long ears whipped around as the monster across from him shook his head rapidly.

 

"Y-you've got it all wrong! I mean, yeah we fool around, but she's all for it. Everyone here is like that. We may all have different reasons, but everything is consensual."

 

It was Sans' turn to be confused. If not that, then...? "* do you... like her?"

 

His head shook again, softer. " Like, romantically? Of course not. I was telling the truth at the park, it's all just good fun. I thought, I thought that you two were like that as well. What else could it possibl-" He cut himself off, paw pressed tight against his mouth. Your secret was out.

 

Eye lights flickered out and his ceramic fingers grabbed a fistful of shirt, yanking him in close.

 

"* on the surface, what me n kit have, it may look similar to what you do- but it's entirely different. they, asgore, can't know that. they'd take her. kill her-" He felt a protective rumble simmer in his ribcage. "* these humans, they're _people_  blue. real, feeling people. like you and i. i don't care if the king himself mandates otherwise. "

 

Blue kept eye contact, his face shifting from surprised, to concerningly neutral, finally settling on pensive as Sans finished, releasing his shirt. He moved back, but made no move to get up.

 

"* until you understand that, i don't know if we can even be any sort of anything, especially not friends. to do anything else would be hypocritical of me."

 

The silence dragged on much too long, his expression unreadable. He desperately wished for Blue to say something, just so he knew just how badly he had fucked up here. His mouth opened and closed a couple times, as if to speak, but it was the third time before he got anything out.

 

"I'm... trying to understand. Humans are the ones who put us underground. They've proven that their souls can exist without love and compassion. How could you say that we're the same?"

 

"* we monsters haven't exactly been the best role model for those particular traits since coming topside you know." Sans interjected bitterly. A brief pause. "* hey blue. would you kill those humans, that put us all under there? right now if given the chance?"

 

The monster nodded vigorously. "Of course! They hurt so many of us! They're better off dust!"

 

Sans frowned slightly, but continued. "* would you kill nicole?"

 

Blue seemed taken aback by his question, a small gasp escaping from his mouth. "Stars no! She's so sweet and nice. There's not a mean speck in her soul."

 

He let it sink in for a moment. "* so why should we blame all humans for the actions of a few? to make ourselves feel better about the pain we have inflicted on them to get to where we are? rather than admit that monsters can be just as violent, just as misguided as they were?"

 

Point made, he made to get to his feet, knees creaking from sitting uncomfortably. He'd already been away from you for way too long. He had better things to do than reason with a racist, even if they'd used to be friends at one point. He was already at the top of the stairs when he heard the pad of feet on carpet as Blue rushed to catch up with him, stopping him gently. He didn't turn, but didn't take another step down.

 

"You... You're right. I convinced myself to believe that if everyone else said it was okay, that if the king said it was right to do, that it was somehow not as messed up as it is. Nicole... I may not have any romantic feelings for her, but she's always seemed more like a good friend than something I own. I can't promise that I can change my way of thinking in a day, or even a week, but I DO want to fix this. For you. For her too. "

 

Now Sans turned, his smile back on his face and visibly relieved. For now at least, your secret was safe. And just perhaps, the two of you had made an old friend into a valuable new ally.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know a lot of you were not fans of Blue, and for good reason. But I wanted to bring the very real concept that people we see as "bad guys" are not split cleanly into "good" and "evil". Oftentimes people we know, and people we are close to, have opinions and views that we just cant reconcile with. 
> 
> Many things contribute to a person's views, including upbringing, peer pressure, and past events. Luckily in this scenario, Blue is willing to take a harder look at why his views of humans may need to be worked on, but this is not every case. 
> 
> It wasn't intended, but I find where we are now in the story is starting to mirror current events. Feel free to put your thoughts on the matter (in both this universe and/or how it relates to current happenings) in the comments, but please keep it kind and polite. 
> 
> Questions for thought
> 
> \- Would you forgive Blue, or cut him off after tonight? Why?
> 
> \- Do you have any friends/family/peers that have views that you vehemently disagree with? Do you try and continue your friendships with these people despite their views, or do you make a clean break and prefer to hang with likeminded people?
> 
> I hope all my readers affected by the hurricane are safe. <3


	23. The Cat, The Rat, and Lovell the Dog

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -This is eraser board talk-
> 
> *It was brought to my attention that some of the circumstances in the following chapter could be read as having dubious consenting themes or rape. If you are sensitive to these subjects, feel free to skip this chapter or send me a message on tumblr asking for an overview if you need to know what happens. All circumstances are past/being re-told, and not current happenings. I had certain intentions while writing these relationships, which you can read in the comments below, but you are free to draw your own conclusions. As usual, this story deals a lot in grey morality, and I understand this can be a sensitive subject to some.*
> 
> Sorry this chapter is a day late! I got called into work the other day, and kind of died when I got home. The party rages on, and this time we catch up with Kitten and Nicole in the kitchen. Our new group of humans share how they came to be with their masters, and the relationships they currently have.
> 
> As always, you can come visit me/ask me questions at my Tumblr blog - http://sinsational-sinnabon.tumblr.com
> 
> I very much appreciate all your well thought out responses to my questions last week! I never imagined such a response and it made me super happy to hear everyone chime in!
> 
> This question isn't near as serious, but you guys seem to find fun in them, so feel free to answer if you like.
> 
> -If you were in Kitten's position, who would you go to for advice on monster dating? /Would/ you even go to anyone for advice, or try and figure it out on your own?

Slightly panicked, you let yourself be guided into the kitchen. As you passed through the doorway, the voices from the other room became muted, as if listening through a thick piece of glass. Nicole spoke up, answering the question you were likely going to ask. 

 

“It’s magic.” She hummed. “Gives everyone some privacy in such a small house.” 

 

Almost immediately, a small group of humans came into view. They were sprawled out all over the modestly sized kitchen; some sitting on counters while others leaned against the wall. You guessed all the chairs were stolen for the monster guests. Your eyes flitted from person to person. From what you could count, there were four - no, six- if you counted yourself and Nicole. Grinning, she gave you a light push so that you were standing in the middle of the room. 

 

Six pairs of eyes stared you down, some more welcoming than others. None of them seemed  _ un _ friendly, but they certainly weren’t making any moves to introduce themselves. You shot a helpless glance at Nicole. You hardly knew her, but even she was a step up from this group. She gave you a confused look in return, but took a step to stand beside you. Small warm fingers slipped into yours, making you tense. You weren’t used to so many casual friendly gestures, especially from strangers with no known intentions. Maybe you were projecting a bit, but it reminded you of how Blue acted; friendly but with a seemingly underlying motive. She gave your conjoined hands a wiggle and spoke up in a cheery voice. Was anything about this girl  _ not _ overly happy?

 

“Everyone? This is Sans’ girl! The one Blue told us about last meet.” You saw recognition dawn in their eyes, but no other moves were made. Well, except for one person. A small child, maybe upper elementary age, broke away from where they were standing with a male servant around your age and bounded over to you. Their eyes were bright hazel and curious as they took you in from up close. On instinct, you bent down to imitate their height, and their hands were instantly upon you; feeling your hair, your clothes, and even tugging on your collar. 

 

“Hey! You’re really pretty. I really like your dress, by the way - did your “boss” get it for you? Your collar is so shiny! I wish mine had shiny stones like that.”

 

You lifted a hand to try and pry away their nosy fingers, but before you could, someone was there pulling them away.

 

“Cory! That’s rude!” You rose to come almost eye to eye with the servant that had been next to the child. By the similar bronze tone to their skin, and their matching eyes, you guessed they were siblings. The way he looked at you was still a bit guarded, but it was interrupted by embarrassment over the actions of their charge.

 

“I’m sorry. They don’t get to meet a lot of new people.” He explained, apologetic. You nodded dumbly. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, dimpling the skin there and making him seem a couple years younger. “So you came with the skeleton huh? I’ve never met ‘im, but my boss mentioned the skeleton that runs the hot dog stand recently got himself a servant. That’s you right?” You must have looked stupid as you just nodded a second time. You caught Cory's eyes lighting up and face widening into a bright smile. For the second time, you were accosted with grabby hands and questions.

 

“You live with the skeleton brothers? That’s so cool! Can they eat or does it just fall out? Have you ever tried sticking a finger in their eye? Does it hurt? Do they even have a bathroom? Do-” A larger hand over their mouth cut them off, but not before you found yourself giggling. You supposed under different circumstances, you might have asked those questions to yourself too. 

 

“How… are they?” The question came from a girl perched on the counter, black hair long and done up in a high braid. Her reedy tone was casual, but the way she was staring through you had you searching for a deeper meaning to her inquiry. You stopped laughing. Now that you looked, all of the humans perked up in anticipation of your answer. 

 

You must have kept them waiting too long, as you felt Nicole shift beside you again. “Is everything okay? You haven’t said anything…” 

 

You really didn’t want to talk. It was getting, easier, but still felt alien to you over using Wing Dings. Plus you knew if you spoke up, they would press you to keep using your voice all night. A small lie wouldn’t hurt, you thought, and pressed the tips of your fingers to the front of your throat. Nicole let out a gasp of understanding.

 

“Oh! You can’t talk!?” For the first time, her soft face scrunched into a frown. “Did  _ they _ do this to you? Are you not allowed to talk? You did seem pretty reluctant to leave him when you came in. Or did they…?” She let the insinuation hang, and it seemed that the rest of the humans assumed the same. All of a sudden you fit together the puzzle. Their glares weren’t directed at you, per say; they were trying to size up your situation. It was only reasonable - you had assumed the same of most slave/master situations before tonight. The metal circlet on your collar jingled as you shook your head from side to side, face horrified. 

 

A cool plastic rectangle was pressed into your hands, along with a smaller, cylindrical object. You were almost surrounded now; the girl that had been leaning against the fridge had approached you to give you - a dry erase board and a marker. It must have been hanging on the fridge. Brushing her short brown hair away from her face, she smiled warmly. 

 

The cap made a really loud POP as you opened the marker. It also squeaked endlessly as you wrote. The group waited in bated silence. This was unbearable. Finished writing, you help up the board for everyone to see. 

 

-Sorry! I’m mute. I’ve been this way for a long long time.-

 

The group shifted so they could all see your board clearly. Sensing that you were in for a long line of questions, you dropped less-than-gracefully to sit on the tile. Cory followed your example next, followed by everyone else. The small child started.

 

“Is Sans your “Boss”?” They tugged on your dress hem, but luckily was mostly restrained by their brother, whom you gave a questioning look.

 

“Uh, that’s what we call our owner. She doesn’t like using “Master”, especially with Cory. Said it feels “freaky.” That brought out a titter from a Nicole. Blood rushed to your face at the thought of having to call Sans anything like that. The sound of your writing luckily distracted them from your blush. 

 

-Yes, Sans is my -  You worried your lower lip as the felt tip hovered over the blank space. Calling him any of the usual names felt so weird. With a disgruntled snort, you wiped off what you had written and started over.

 

-I live with Sans and Papyrus, but Sans is the one who brought me home. They are very nice, even though Sans leaves socks everywhere. He tells a lot of jokes, which Papyrus hates. I help around the house, with cleaning and stuff- You winked, and the group laughed as they read your description of the brothers. The tense atmosphere dissipated. 

 

The next half an hour or so continued this way, with them asking questions and you answering to the best of your ability. As you chatted, you learned a bit about them as well, from their responses and through witty banter between them. They all seemed to know each other quite well. It had you feeling a bit like an outsider at first, but the more you talked the more comfortable you felt. 

 

Cory and their brother, whose name was Kevin you learned, were both owned by one Monster. She was the baby blue reptilian that you’d seen coming in, standing beside the snack table. The black haired girl was Mary, and was pretty new to servitude, like yourself. She had just recently turned eighteen and belonged to a water elemental that owned a bookstore in Eastside. The girl whom had given you the whiteboard, Chelsea, was thirty and had been through a couple monsters. She had been with Taron for a few months now; who was apparently one of Blue’s cousins. 

 

To your surprise, there was none of the hostility you were expecting as they talked about their owners. So far, the only stories you’d heard were from the servants who were returned to the ward for some reason or another. Stories of abuse and mistreatment and assault. But these people seemed to regard their situation as a minor inconvenience at worst? 

 

After a while, a voice cut through the magic that separated the kitchen. “Cory! Can you come here for a moment? I want you to come tell Sans those jokes you like!” You swore the child was out of the kitchen moments after the mention of Jokes left her mouth. 

 

Without Cory there, it was if someone had introduced a mouse to a group of cats. Everyone still looked friendly, but their smiles had turned leery, and their eyes gleamed with a playful suspicion. It was unusually Chelsea who spoke up first, scooting in close to your side and ribbing you playfully. 

 

“So, now that the kid’s gone, we can ask the important questions.”

 

Important… questions? You had a bad feeling about this.

 

She lowered her voice as everyone leaned in. Reservations kept piling up. They couldn’t possibly mean... 

 

“How in the  _ HELL _ do you fuck a skeleton?!”

 

Chelsea’s mouth was open to ask, but Mary had beaten her to the chase, hands held out in complete disbelief. One by one, you looked them in the eye, blood turning your face bright red. Gaping, you scribbled one word across the entirety of the board.

 

-WHAT?!?!?- You put an appropriate number of alternating question and exclamation marks to make your point. How on earth had that come up?

 

“Oh come on,” Kevin interjected. “You must know what kind of party this is, so the question stands. Does he have some kind of dick bone or do you guys have to use a strap on?”

 

You never thought you would welcome the void, but right now you’d give anything for an extended vacation in it. You were NOT going to let this become the subject of the night. You wrote furiously.

 

-He doesn’t have a  _ dick bon-  _ You paused. You didn’t really know that, but… regardless! Erasing the message before the others could see it, you squeaked out the more pertinent question.

 

-What do you mean “what kind of party this is”? Is this some sort of bi-weekly orgy?-

 

It wouldn’t surprise you if the monsters in the next room could hear the bout of laughter that came from the kitchen. Your ears burned with a mix of embarrassment and frustration. What else were you supposed to assume? It was Nicole who composed herself enough to barely answer you.

 

“Of *huff*  _ Course _ *huff* Not!” She paused for another fit of giggles. “But all of the monsters here are  _ very _ close to their slaves if you get my gist.” She tried to give you a wink, but because of her laughing fit it ended up as more of an stuttering blink. You were pretty sure you looked as flummoxed as you felt.

 

-Are all the monsters here… dating their servants?- You asked hesitantly. While you were hoping for affirmation, there was something different here than what you had with Sans that you couldn’t put your finger on. 

 

Mary twirled her braid in one hand and hummed a negative. “Nah. That’s not really a thing that happens. One of the “main laws” or something like that.” Luckily it seemed like they took your assumption as naivety instead of a confession. She continued. “We all have different reasons, but all of us fit in that same group - barely inside the law. In my case, I decided to sneak into my Master’s vodka supply one night. Ended up coming on to him pretty heavily, as he tells me. I can’t remember too much, but I  _ do _ know that it wasn’t a bad time. We refused to speak about it for a solid week, but come the next weekend, I did it again.” She tugged at her hair, an almost bashful look on her face. “Of course this time I only pretended to drink, but he seemed to go for it. It was only the next morning that he told me that I didn’t have to fake drunk every time I wanted to sleep with him.” Mary flushed. “Turns out he moved the vodka after the first time. Now it’s a “thing”.”

 

You looked inquisitively at Kevin next. He looked less eager to share, but with a groan, relented. “Fine, Fine. I’m sure you’ve noticed that Cory is way too young to legally be in the slave system. Veronica bought me first; said she needed someone to do the heavy lifting since her husband fell down a couple months back. I was reluctant to leave my lil sibs, but there wasn’t really anything I could do. Until, that is, she let slip one night that she thought I was pretty cute. So, I did what any big bro would do. Take away the scales and she wasn’t much different than a human gal. I guess I did an okay job because she made quite a fierce case for getting my sibling. I guess I could’ve stopped there, but she seems happier these days... I think she misses her husband.” As he spoke, he picked at his worn fingernails, unwilling to meet your eye. “Call me a sap but who am I to deny her that? She treats Cory real well. Spoils him rotten, tucks him in, teaches him stuff. Kind of like mom did.” He didn’t elaborate, and you didn’t pry. You could understand that scenario anyway; it was how you ended up parentless in the system.

 

Automatically, everyone looked to Chelsea. By now, they’d pieced together that it was story time for the new girl. You were curious as well. She said she’d been through several owners, but not much beyond that. Her collar rivaled yours in lavishness; studded with gems and fancy steel filigree. Shrugging, she flipped her bangs offhandedly. “Not much to say really. I worked the streets before all this. So “belonging” to someone wasn’t a new concept. My first monster owner was big into the black market when it first started up. Not sure what happened to him. He lost me to my second owner in a bet.” She laughed as if she wasn’t talking about literally being traded like money. “He was kind of a douche anyway. Second guy wasn’t much better. Got himself dusted after a few months.” You looked at her, stunned. As if sensing your train of thought, she shook her head and chuckled mirthfully. “Not by me silly! More of that black market gang war shit. In some ways, I learned that monster culture wasn’t all that different from the human street life.” 

 

Nicole leaned over your shoulder and pushed Chelsea lightly, throwing her off balance. “Tell her how you got with Taron.” She pushed back good-naturedly. “I’m getting there! So one day - I’m back at the ward at this point- this rabbit guy walks in, and he looks like a pretty good guy, right? By this point, I’m pretty sick of the ward. I never really thought about sleeping with a monster before, but as I looked at him, I found myself thinkin’ “Hey, he’s pretty cute.”” You looked at her incredulously, and she gave you a mock offended gasp in response.

 

“‘ ’Scuse! He was no Brad Pitt but I won’t have any smack from a girl messing around with a halloween decoration.” You tried to object but she waved you off. “Anyway, I did what I do best. I sauntered up and offered to give him the night of his life if he got me out of there. So he did. I made good on my deal and he turned out to be so nice that we’ve been doing it semi-weekly ever since. He’s got himself a harem now - there’s four or five of us, but I’m the only one who comes to these.”

 

The more you heard, the more it made sense. Just like with the few monsters you knew, they were all their own people, with their own motives. So far you’d been kind of sorting them into two groups; the anti-slave group and well… everyone else. You’d presumed that all the humans except you were suffering at the hands of their monster owners. While it still wasn’t  _ right _ , you realized you’d been foolish in assuming in such. There was a pretty big grey area here.

 

Like Chelsea said, it all started through a few monsters that set up some sort of black market. You remembered those days. Humans from your ward would disappear suddenly in the night, and you heard rumors that they’d been taken by Monsters. The ones that returned told you of sex trades and small rooms where they’d be hidden. Little by little, you guessed, owning humans had become the norm. Less people got servants because they wanted them, and more because it was just the thing you were expected to do. You recalled something Sans had said back when you first met him. That he didn’t necessarily like the Law but he was required to follow it. You wondered if there were a lot of monsters out there like that. You were still trying to sort through everyone’s stories when Nicole piped up.

 

“That’s where Blue comes in! I guess not many of our Masters are good at keeping their mouths shut, because he heard multiple stories like ours, where Monsters and their servants were just having a good time. It’s not exactly something you can talk about in public, but the monsters were apparently feeling a bit self conscious, and in need of a bit of validation.” She stood and spun in a quick circle, arms gesturing to… the house you guessed. “So he set up this club! For monsters and servants who are “adventurous”. But it’s gotta be consensual on both sides, so we can weed out those weirdos who buy humans just to use em.”

 

You stared for a moment, then nodded decisively. It wasn’t exactly the same as the Human Independance group, but you were beginning to find a strange sort of camaraderie with this group of Humans. As long as you were careful, you could even possibly talk to them about your… experiences with Sans. You admittedly had questions, and short of asking Grillby (which felt  _ wrong _ ) these people seemed like the best target for your monster curiosity. 

 

Everyone had shared their stories, and glancing up, it seemed that they expected you to tell yours as well. The last hour or so had brought you close, and you all sat in a huddled bundle in the middle of the kitchen. Taking a deep breath to steady yourself, you touched the black tip to the wiped clean board.

 

-Okay. So I haven’t fucked a skeleton… yet. And to be honest, I could use your advice…-


	24. One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapterrrr! As always, feel free to come bug me on my tumblr blog! http://sinsational-sinnabon.tumblr.com
> 
> Sorry this one is a bit late! With Halloween not only affecting my daily life, but also retail, things got busy! 
> 
> But I hope this one makes up for it. We worked on dealing with a couple of Reader's problems, but you didn't think we were going to ignore the hot mess that is our skeleton boyfran did you? ;) 
> 
> I love you guys! I live for your comments and hits! <3 Until next time!

A loud crash interrupted your conversation, startling even through the muffling sound barrier. Your stomach sunk as you scrambled to your feet and tore into the adjoining room. You heard the others attempt to follow you, but in your haste you were gone before they were even fully aware of what had happened. 

 

Stunned, you were frozen just inside of the doorway, eyes wide and dry erase board clutched to your chest. It was if a spell was cast over the room. Everyone, monster and human alike, was similarly motionless as they stared toward the center of the room. The grey leather sectional was turned on its back while a couple of chairs lay prone beside it; likely sent to the ground by monsters hopping out of the way. In the middle, as you’d feared, was Sans. He was facing away from you, but you could easily read the tension in his shoulders and the defensive shrug of his neck. From what you could see, his hands were raised, trembling, to guard his chest.  Sitting askew across from him was Corey, who looked a mixture of confused and frightened. The child shifted, and the moment broke. Startled murmurs started to circulate among the monsters, and a fretful looking reptilian monster rushed forward to gather them up in her arms. You felt someone brush past you brusquely to go to her side, and soon both Kevin and the monster were checking him over for any injury. There was a smudge of dip on their forehead, and the green and yellow striped fabric of their shirt was almost soaked with salsa - the room had a distinct tomato-y aroma, now that you noticed. While their owner seemed content to nuzzle Corey and fawn over them, Kevin turned to glare at Sans after checking his sibling off as okay.

 

“What the hell dude! Why’d you knock down my little sibs?!” 

 

No response. Kevin took a couple steps forward, but even then Sans stook stock still. You walked hastily to stand between him and the angry human. On your way past, you got a brief glimpse of Sans. His eyes were black, and his grin was tight. You racked your memory and couldn’t remember a time where you’d seen him that upset. You couldn’t speak now even if you wanted to, a hard lump sticking in your throat. Trying to seem brave, you pushed out your chest and shook your head. You could feel your heart beating like a hummingbird behind your ribs, and a prickling heat rushed up and down the length of your spine. No. That wasn’t you. 

 

The familiar cast of Sans’ magic crashed over your skin. It was like the feeling of the air right before a shortcut, but instead of a focused aura; this felt fragile; agitated. Ready to break with the smallest of touches.  

 

Keeping one eye warily on Kevin, you turned to confirm your suspicions. As you’d thought, Sans’ anguished look had contorted even further, eye lit up in a blaze of magic. It was focused on you, and the moment you turned it flashed and met your gaze. He didn’t seem to recognize you. An entirely different shiver made it’s way up your back. 

 

Fear. 

 

There was intent behind his magic, murderous and vengeful, that reminded you way too much of your past experiences with it. It struck a debilitating chord in you, but you pushed through.  The room had fallen silent at the change. Trembling hands signed his name. Nothing. If anything, the movement made him tense more. Your eyes were fixed on his unblinkingly, and you were lost in the ripples and eddies of blue magic that whirled like smoke about his skull. 

 

You were unsure of how long you stayed like that, in a checkmate of intentions, before you felt a paw on your shoulder yanking you back.

 

“Hey! Be careful! He - something’s wrong with him. It’s not safe. You sho...” It was Blue, who drew you close to him in an attempt to protect you from the threat he thought Sans posed. You felt a separate pulsing, in discordance from your heart. It came from the center of your chest, instead of slightly to the right where you knew the blood-pumping organ lay. All of a sudden the world around you seemed to narrow, focused to nothing but the beat inside of you and the magic in the air. What was happening? Your senses seemed to dim in some ways, but open in others. The voices of the monsters around you had faded away, but you could still “hear” them. Not words, but feelings. Confusion, mainly, from them. A dull fear, musky and cool, from behind you. You could tell your friends from the kitchen were worried, as was Kevin, although he was angry too. All this paled in comparison to what you felt from Sans. His eyes portrayed a hot rage, but what you felt from him was an all consuming, bone-chilling fear. 

 

What was he scared of? You pulled away from a protesting Blue and took a step forward. 

 

_ Flinch!  _

 

You? You took another step.

 

The fear flickered, laced with a pinpoint of recognition. Confusion. Everything he felt was blasted out at full volume. You faintly heard your friends calling to you. You couldn’t stop now - you were making progress. You didn’t know what was making him act this way, but something inside yourself was pushing you forward to stop it. 

 

You were less than arm's reach away now. Sans’ eyes and emotions were flashing wildly; switching between that fear and an intense guilt. You reached out and rested your hand lightly on one of his own that still guarded his sternum. Pricks of light finally won over for a moment, and regarded you with a tired, but familiar glance. His face shifted, and he raised a hand to press it to his skull. The monsters in the room took a step back at the movement. They didn’t think the threat had gone, and by the way his eye was flashing behind the gaps in the bone, neither did you honestly. Finally, he spoke. He seemed to have to force the words out. 

 

“* i’m.. i… i don’t know what-” His eyes caught on the small child in the reptiles arms and a tendril of blue snuck out between his metacarpals. 

 

“* i gotta go!”

 

Luckily for you, he stumbled around the couch and out through the front door instead of teleporting away. With a rush of sound and smell and color, your senses came rushing back. The pounding in your chest that wasn’t your heart receded until there was only one frantic beat trying to catapult its way out of your chest cavity. Casting a apologetic look back at everyone, you turned to follow. On your way to the door, a small hand grabbed at your own, and you spun to face Nicole. Her green eyes were wide with concern. She pressed a scrap of paper into your palm with a crumple. 

 

“Find a way to text Blue and I when you get home. I’m not sure what’s going on, but let us know that you’re both okay. Please?”

 

You were slightly aggravated to waste so many precious seconds, but closed your hand around the paper and nodded to her. Maybe not Blue so much, but you’d do it for Nicole at least. 

 

In your second bout of luck that night, you found Sans hadn’t gone far. You burst out the door, and found him curled up against the side of the house, head buried into his knees and eye still leaking magic into the warm night air. The grass bent softly under your shoes as you tried to approach him as quietly as possible. You couldn’t tell whether it was a good sign or not that he made no move when you placed a hesitant hand on his skull. Not knowing quite what to do in this situation, you ran your hand across the smooth bone a bit; trying to be comforting as you dropped to your knees. 

 

As uncomfortable and invasive as… whatever happened in there was, you could really use that weird “emotion sense” right about now. Sans had started to shiver violently, bones rattling inside of his clothing. You called his name softly, fingers lingering on his temple, but his head stayed nestled in his knees. 

 

You wanted to know what went wrong.

 

You wanted so badly to fix… whatever this was.

 

But you had no idea what even prompted this attack, not to mention how to begin solving it. No matter how noble your intentions, you couldn’t help but think that you may be doing more harm than good by trying to handle this yourself. 

 

Papyrus! He would know what to do. Maybe he would even know what this was! Trying to jostle the skeleton as little as possible, you searched his pockets for his cellphone. It was a bit difficult to wrestle it out with him sitting like that, but you managed. You flipped up the screen and stared blankly at the background picture of him and Papyrus.

 

Shit. You didn’t know his brothers number. You punched in a couple buttons. For the love of everything,  _ Please _ have set up a contacts list. Just as you’d expected, it was all a mess of random numbers, except for one. It read “The Great and Amazing Brother Papyrus”, correctly capitalized and with a smiley face at the end. Papyrus must have set it up for him. Mouth set in a slim line, you pressed call. It was late - way past the tall skeletons bed time - but this was important dammit!

 

It rang once.

 

Twice.

 

Three times.

 

Fou- “Hello? This is the Great Papyrus speaking.” 

 

His voice was soft and groggy from sleep. You must have woken him. In your haste to get the words out, you choked and coughed.

 

“Sans? Is that you? This better not be another one of your “prank calls”. Especially at this hour!”

 

“P-Papyrus!” You spit out finally, cutting him off. You tried to explain what had happened, but everything came out as a jumbled mess. 

 

“Human? Human! Calm down.” Papyrus seemed much more awake now, and there was a seriousness to his voice that suggested he had figured out this was certainly not a prank. “Now slowly. What’s happening? You seem upset.”

 

Although you could tell Papyrus was doing his best to be the level head in this situation, you could hear the slight tremble of worry in his voice. You took a deep breath and tried again.

 

“It’s Sans. We were at this human and monster party and all of a sudden he freaked out. I didn’t really see when it happened but it looked like he pushed Corey over and ever since then he won’t respond! His eye’s doing that thing with the magic and he just won’t talk to me and-”

 

Papyrus interrupted you. “Who is Corey?” His tone was dead serious. 

 

That was… a strange question. What would that matter?! Sans was in trouble! “Just some human kid. What difference does it make?” You could almost feel a chill over the line.

 

“Stay with Sans. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” 

 

Before you could say anything else, or even give him an address, he’d hung up. Morose, you scooted over and fit yourself in beside the short monster. Although the position relaxed you, there was no difference in the tension strung tight over his bones. Your nerves were completely shot, and every cricket chirp had you jumping. You were afraid for Sans, but now that the call had been made and help was on its way, you couldn’t help but become aware that you were out here way past curfew, and Sans was in no position to help you if someone were to find you like this. 

 

With this thought in mind, you almost leapt to your feet when Papyrus approached, certain that he was one of the patrol here to bring you in and send you back to the Ward. Seeing the tall monster in his ridiculous pajamas, you sagged with relief. Your smile faded as you saw the steely look that he was giving you. His jaw was set and he pointedly ignored you as he went to his brothers’ aid. He effortlessly gathered Sans into his arms, where he shoved his skull into Papyrus’ ribcage to hide his eyes. Tense arms threw themselves around his neck like a lifeline. You couldn’t see in the darkness, but you were sure you could faintly hear the fabric ripping under Sans’ tight grip. 

 

The walk back was silent save for Sans’ rough heaving breaths and your footsteps. You had thought you and Papyrus were on good terms, but all of a sudden he was treating you as if  _ you _ had caused his brother’s reaction. It wasn’t until the door to your home had closed and locked behind you that he even graced you with a look. It wasn’t a very friendly one either.

You opened your mouth to try to explain yourself; to try and get some sort of insight into what had gone wrong, but the sound wouldn’t come. A scoff came from the tall skeleton as what looked like frustration flashed across his features. Still holding his brother close to his chest, he turned and began up the stairs. You went to follow, wondering if Sans would be okay. Midway up, Papyrus spun around and brought you to a halt. Your feet suddenly felt as if they were made of concrete; that spot in your chest mirroring the weight. 

 

“ _ Don’t  _ follow,  **_human_ ** . This is  _ exactly _ what I knew would happen when Sans brought you home with him.”

 

With one last withering glare cast in your direction, he turned and disappeared into Sans’ room. The weight disappeared, but you still felt rooted in place.

 

You hadn’t done anything to hurt them. Was this because you were human?

 

You wanted to  _ help _ him. 

 

You could  _ help _ .

 

….

  
Couldn’t you?


	25. Ring Around The Rosie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! As some of you probably share the sentiment, the past few days have been taxing. I lost my inspiration to write and it was all I could do to make it through the day. I had a lot of friends to console and coworkers and reassure, even as I was reassuring myself. 
> 
> But I figure that what better way to combat all this insecurity and fear of what's-to- come than with pouring my heart into a world that I can help create and shape. Especially since sharing these guys' story comes with my dear readers' support and friendship! I truly cherish all of you and am looking forward to the next portion of KHWK!
> 
> Enough of the mushy stuff - visit my tumblr for memes, sin, and sans (all skeleton related) http://sinsational-sinnabon.tumblr.com

This was a temporary thing. A couple days; just until Sans got better.

 

That’s what you were told anyway, but it didn’t make it any easier as you packed a small bag full of your favorite items and let yourself be escorted out of the house by a still subdued Papyrus. He looked… less angry than yesterday, but it was with a grim determination that he had told you that you were going to stay with Alphys upon his request.

 

You wished he would explain. Left in the dark, all you could do was worry that you somehow had a hand in Sans’ breakdown. It happened before you were even in the room, so even entertaining the thought was ridiculous, but you couldn’t help it with the way Papyrus was reacting. The easiest solution would be to ask Sans himself, but that was impossible.

 

He apparently was still unresponsive, and had been that way all night. Not in the “fallen down” sense that you had heard described by Wardens, but in a way that you could hear him twisting and turning at night, anguished cries interspersed with his brothers attempts to soothe. You had deigned to sleep on the couch. It was too nerve wracking to even pass his room to get to yours, and there was no way you could sleep next to all that noise.

 

Not that you slept anyway.

 

Between Sans’ fits,Papyrus stalked the upper hallway overlooking the living room like a restless panther; concealed in darkness but clearly visible to your eyes used to the darkness. Too anxious to stay still for more than a moment, but unwilling to let his brother see anything less than the cool and composed Papyrus. You also had an inkling that he was keeping an eye on you. You felt his gaze several times during the night, and the spot on the couch you inhabited was the first thing he looked for when he came out of Sans’ room.

 

You didn’t even get to see him to say goodbye before you left. A good thing probably, you figured; you might even find a way to make this worse. Not through intention, of course, but you couldn’t change the basic fact that you were human. Nothing ever could.

 

The short walk to Alphys’ house was heavy with silence between you. Papyrus seemed to be deep in thought, and didn’t pay you much mind. You couldn’t help but note the similarities to your first walk there, with a different and much shorter skeleton monster. Except this time, you wished for nothing more to go back to the house you had started to consider home. It didn’t take long to arrive. The sight of the brick building sunk your heart into your stomach, when normally you would be excited to see the peppy anime-loving reptilian.

 

You cast a sad puppy dog look at Papyrus, who for a second looked torn instead of carefully composed like he’d been all morning. His hand twisted into the fabric of his worn red scarf; thrown on over his casual clothes. He stopped at the base of the steps and turned to sit, patting the concrete beside him. You sat. He sat silent for a while, fingers anxiously fiddling and eyes stubbornly evading yours. This too, reminded you of past interactions with the brothers. Setting the messenger bag beside you, you reached out and grabbed at the monsters’ gloved hand. You held it loosely as you repeated the symbol for “friends”, that you had taught him a while back.

 

He obviously recognized it, and pulled his hand back almost aggressively.

 

“Stop it human. You are only making this harder.” Papyrus snipped. His fingers went back to their nervous twisting. It wasn’t like he ever used your nickname much before, but it stung this time when he repeatedly referred to you as human in this… almost accusatory way.

 

He was pensively quiet for a few seconds longer, as if deciding on whether to say what was on his mind. Desperate for any light to be shone into the dark room you were stuck in, you toughed it out. A black converse tapped impatiently on the sidewalk while you fiddled with the smooth stones in your collar. As long as you had that, you still “belonged” at the skeleton brother’s house. You still had a home.

 

“I..” He started, but paused again, resting his chin on his closed fist. His eyes seemed sad as they looked out at the cheery houses across the street, with their lawns littered in colorful leaves. “I used to really like humans. Underground, I mean. Not that I’d ever met any, but they seemed so friendly and nice. They threw away such interesting stuff, and Sans’ bedtime stories made them out to be heroic and noble.”

 

Your shoe tapping stopped, mind taking up the task of digesting the scraps of information you were getting from Papyrus. If he liked humans so much back then, what happened? He certainly didn’t seem to like you when you first came to their house, but in the last few months you swore the two of you had become friends. You did recall that kid in the pictures lining their stairwell though. The one that Sans never seemed to talk about if he didn’t have to. Did they have something to do with this?

 

“It was very confusing then, as you could probably imagine, when Frisk fell into the Underground.” Papyrus went on quietly.

 

Frisk… Sans mentioned that name as well. You were pretty sure that was the human kid in the photos. What was so -

 

“You see, when they came out of the ruins I was fixing one of my puzzles in the forest nearby. I was rather excited, but I saw that Sans had already intercepted the young human, and I didn’t want to overwhelm them with my greatness.” He paused in his fidgeting to strike a half hearted heroic Papyrus pose. You supposed this was his awkward way of showing that he wasn’t entirely angry with you. The briefest of smiles appeared on his face, but his shoulders slumped and it was washed away as he continued. “My brother… I didn’t expect him to attack them like that! No holds barred, not even announcing that he wanted to engage the human in a “fight”!”

 

You were sure your face showed your surprise. Why would Sans attack Frisk? You twisted your body to face Papyrus more, signalling him to go on. It wasn’t like he knew the sign itself, but it was pretty obvious.

 

“He thought I didn’t see him. Eventually, he seemed to be satisfied with something, and let them pass. When I “met” them later, Sans acted like they were the best of buddies. It was… strange. They acted like they knew each other almost. There’s not much to the story beyond that. They stayed with us for a few days and continued on to the King. He took their Soul and used its’ power to free us from the underground.”

 

He sighed. By the dark lines carved under his sockets, you could tell that he hadn’t slept either. For the first time, he looked more like a worried brother than the unfair, well, “monster” you were making him out to be.

 

“After that… after we came to the surface, that’s when things got really bad. We came into town, and naturally there were humans everywhere. Our King was leading the charge, but we were a fair ways behind the front lines. I wasn’t interesting in hurting anyone. People were running, and screaming- and all of a sudden, Sans went crazy! He started trembling and talking nonsense and then he… well… anyway. Sans had a similar attack as the one you saw last night, but much much worse. He wouldn’t “wake up” for a week.”

 

You were starting to get it. It wasn’t that there was anything wrong with _you_ . There were still a few blanks, but you had put together that _something_ had happened to Sans. Something bad. And whatever it was, being around some humans set it off. You suddenly felt bad. If it wasn’t for you, he would have never been forced to go to that party. He would never have met Corey. He would be selling hot dogs right now, telling bad puns and sneaking ketchup packets when he thought customers weren’t looking. Even though Sans obviously wanted you there, were you being selfish by going along with it so readily?

 

Papyrus seemed to see that you understood, and you felt a warm solid weight settle around your shoulders and a lean form rest against you. A long breath rattled his ribcage as he rested his jaw on the top of yours. The closeness felt nice, even if the monster you really wanted comfort from was back at home.

 

“Underground, Sans always put me first. He practically raised me, and was always making sacrifices in his own life to make me happy. So putting aside my interest in making friends with humans; learning to see them as a danger to my brother’s health… it was the least I could do. For example, you seem very nice, and I’m sure that you are a good person! But I knew that you being around would lead to him being around other humans, and one of those instances could end up like last night. ”

 

Even though you still wanted to go home, you found yourself nodding. If what Papyrus said was true, and you being around Sans was putting his happiness at risk - well that was the last thing you wanted. And like Papyrus said… it was just for a couple days. You could do that for him. Your voice was tiny as you squeaked an, “I understand” and made to stand. He squeezed you and rose alongside you, letting his arm drop from around your shoulders to knock on the door.

 

Alphys answered in seconds, a bucktoothed smile on her face as she beamed up at Papyrus, and a slightly less enthusiastic smile as she saw you standing behind him.

 

“H-hey Papyrus! Here f-for our weekly anime s-session?” She stuttered, her tone making it obvious that she knew good and well Sans’ brother wasn’t there to watch anime. A large hand brought you around him to stand between the two monsters.

 

“Sorry, Alphys. I’m just here to drop off Kit. Remember? I called this morning and you agreed to watch her for a few days.”

 

You felt a bit like an actual pet cat getting dropped off at the pound; ignored as the adults talked over you.

 

“O-of c-course! I-is Sans alright?” The way her face dropped in response to Papyrus’ reaction wasn’t very uplifting.

 

“Ah… w-well I’m sure h-he’ll be back to full health in no time! T-this is Sans w-we’re talking about. He’ll p-probably be throwing puns at you by tonight.”

 

He nodded and gave you one last pat on the back before briskly walking away, most likely anxious about leaving Sans for even this long.

 

A small clammy hand pulled you inside. “D-Don’t worry. It’ll be just l-like a huge sleepover. I b-bet the boys d-don’t have junk food!” She seemed to notice your glum mood, and tried to catch your eye with a tentative grin. It was hard not to respond in kind; she was just so well meaning, and none of this was her fault after all. This was how, less than ten minutes later, you found yourself curled up into the side of the couch with a bag of chips (set there by Alphys and still unopened) tucked against your leg.

 

There was some anime on the screen, one you were sure to have recognized if you were paying any attention to the subs or even to Alphys’ continued commentary. You made out that it was a romance at least. You wondered if she knew anything about you and Sans, and if she did, if she was just that obtuse to how inappropriate a romantic anime was at the moment. Still holding your “suitcase”, you hugged the small bag to your chest and buried your face in the rough canvas. It was Sans’, and it still carried the musky smell of his room. It was improbable, but you already missed him.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The walk back home was even worse alone. Ever since he had left the human with Alphys, Papyrus was plagued with a guilt that weighed heavy on his soul. It wasn’t a perfect solution to what was going on, but his intentions were good, and that was what mattered right? Besides, the Human liked Alphys. It wasn’t like she was at risk of any danger, or abandoned in any way. He had spoken the truth when he said that it was only until Sans was up and stable. Papyrus frowned a bit at the thought of what Sans would think. It was horrible to hope, but maybe he would be too out of it to notice for a while. Not long. Just long enough for him to explain.

 

Thoughts of his brother on his mind, his feet meandered into the small convenience store that was on the way home. Perhaps Sans would enjoy some hot soup, or a hot cup of golden tea after he woke? It would only take a second; he’d be home before he knew it!

 

Like most other stores inherited by the monsters, the interior was a mix of original decoration and quirky additions. The registers were abandoned, while the “pharmacy counter” was turned into an game style item booth. The merchant, a brightly colored avian, seemed bored as he sat behind it and scratched at his feathers. Most of the grocery and general wares remained on the shelves, but he could just see a pile of medicine bottles piled in the back. They didn’t know how they would affect the monster population, so they, like a good ammount of other human goods, were pushed to the side.

 

Papyrus wondered for a moment why they didn’t just ask the humans. A quick look around the shop dampened that thought. The few humans he saw trailed behind their master's, eyes listless and arms burdened with baskets of items. He knew what his boss would say. Asgore would say that humans were sly and couldn’t be trusted with such important info. The reality was more along the lines that no one cared or thought enough of them to ask.   

 

He made quick work of his shopping, plucking various items from the shelves and putting them into a basket he’d picked up at the front. It didn’t have infinite space capabilities, but it was still a pretty clever human invention, he thought. Tomato soup (Sans’ favorite) and golden flower tea were the first things in his basket, but he also picked up several bottles of ketchup and a small skeleton shaped toy that said it “danced in the sun”. It was crudely naked, but Papyrus figured he could make tiny clothes for it out of their old rags. It seemed like something his brother would like.

 

Purchases paid for, he left the store with the brown plastic bag happily swinging from his arm. Things would be alright, he thought optimistically. After all, it was what he did best. Sans would wake up soon (maybe he already was!), they would pick up Sans’ human and everything would be peachy keen. Gloved fingers fished the tiny skeleton toy from his bag and watched it start to bounce back and forth in the sunlight. Back and forth. Back and Forth.

 

“It's been a while, Papyrus!”

 

The tall monster spun around, looking for the source of the voice. He finally saw the small figure lingering in the grass next to the sidewalk. Giving the monster a huge smile, he carefully put the toy back in his bag to give him his full attention.

 

“Greetings! I am sorry I did not notice you before now - I was somewhat distracted.” Papyrus explained, his smile dipping sheepishly for a moment. He was delighted to see one of his friends from the Underground, and gleefully said as much. The monster waved an appendage dismissively in response, chuckling lightly.

 

“It _has_ been a long time since we’ve seen each other, hasn’t it? In fact, the last time we spoke was back in Snowdin, right? You needed help with one of your puzzles and we ended up talking for hours!” Papyrus felt himself nodding along with the memory, remembering the day long past.

“How come I haven’t seen you until now?” The skeleton stood to his full height (he had knelt to engage the shorter monster) and struck a proud pose. “I work for the king now, you know! I pride myself in knowing everybody in Overground.” His nasal bone wrinkled, puzzled. “Even though you are small of stature, I am embarrassed that I neglected to notice you until now.”

 

His friend shifted from side to side, reminding him for a second of the plastic toy. “Oh Papyrus, don’t worry about it. You didn’t miss me; I just stayed underground until now.”

 

Upon his distraught look, the tiny monster was quick to reconcile. “You know me - I don’t really enjoy big crowds, and the Underground was my home. You could say I put down some roots, so to speak.” He giggled before continuing. “But with everyone gone, I got very lonely. I missed you especially Papyrus! So I came up top to see how you were.”

 

Papyrus was flattered that his friend would go to such lengths to visit him, coming all the way from under Mt. Ebbot. He felt his cheeks glow and couldn’t help the smile that crossed his face.

 

“I’ve been pretty well!” He lied gently. After all the trouble his friend went through, he would hate to burden him with bad news. But Papyrus was never a great liar under pressure. The monster gave him a curious look, before sighing. “You know you can talk to me about these things, right Papyrus? Just like underground. No one understands you better than me. I’m your best friend after all!”

 

That was right. He remembered many fond talks with the monster in front of him. Many times, when he was frustrated with Sans, or disheartened with his training, or just feeling down, he would confide with his friend. He would always give such good advice, and Papyrus found him telling him things that he told no one else. Even now, it pleased him to know that his old friend was still here for him. There was a rustle as he set the grocery bag down. Sans would be alright for a bit longer. He sat down and awkwardly adjusted his long legs until he was comfortable.

 

“Ok fine. Things haven’t been amazing lately. In general, it’s been weird, but the last few days have been exhausting.”

 

“How so?” The monster pried gently.

 

“Well, first of all, Sans came home with a Human totally out of the blue a few months ago, so that’s been.... Interesting to adjust to.” The small monsters smile flattened into a thoughtful line.

 

“Then, you know those nightmares that Sans used to get?” Papyrus asked, knowing full well that he had shared those particular worries with him many a time. He got a nod in response. “Well, once we got to the surface, he started having problems during the day as well. Reactions to some of the humans we saw. Sometimes he would even get violent.” Papyrus hated talking about that first instance, but his friend hadn’t been there and he felt the need to explain. “Last night he had another attack, a pretty bad one, and ever since he’s been stuck in bed. I just know it’s related to his nightmares, but he won’t tell me about those. Be honest with me. How can I possibly help if he won't talk to me?” As he got more frustrated, his voice grew louder until he was almost shouting. He shut his mouth with a clack, embarrassed he had let himself get this out of hand. A soft pat on his shoulder let him know no hard feelings were held for his outburst. His friend was, after all, always very understanding. He sniffed, and scraped a glove across his dry but prickling sockets. The Great Papyrus did not cry.

 

“There There Papyrus. I’m sure he has his reasons for not sharing such an important matter with his one and only brother. Maybe you just need to pry a bit harder? If he thinks he’s protecting you by not talking about it, you need to remind him that you are capable of being there for him. You are the Mighty and Marvelous Papyrus, right?! Things will get better - I promise.”

 

His friend always knew what to say. He nodded and made to stand. “As grateful as I am to see you, and that you listened to my worries, I really must get back to Sans. I want to be there for him when he wakes up. The small monster nodded understandingly and handed Papyrus his bag.

 

“I’m sure I’ll see you again soon Papyrus. In fact,” He said with a wink, “you can count on it!”

 

The skeleton smiled and nodded distractedly, fixing his scarf. When he looked up to offer a similar goodbye, his friend was nowhere to be seen. He’d almost forgotten that that was a normal thing too. He was almost as slippery as Sans with his danged short cuts.

 

The rest of the walk was spent with a spring in his step and a tune through his teeth. He’d needed that, and was now certain that things were going to start looking up.

  
After all, his friend had never been wrong before.


	26. Mr. Sandman, Come Bring Me A Dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A fresh chocolate chip cookie for whoever can guess what Anime they are watching. XD 
> 
> Early update! For me anyway~ I'll be away in Savannah this weekend, so I wanted to get something out to hold you over! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!
> 
> As usual, come visit me at my tumblr - http://sinsational-sinnabon.tumblr.com
> 
> Again. Alphys is us.

It took you another hour before you finally broke into the bag of chisps at your side. To your relief, Alphys for the most part left you alone to your sulking. Every so often you would see her glance over at your huddled form, brow furrowed in concern, but she didn’t pry. You appreciated the space, as it let you sort things through and come to terms with your new temporary living arrangements. In time, you even found yourself forgetting about last night's’ events for minutes at a time, getting sucked into the violent yet intriguing plot of the anime Alphys had put on. 

 

_ “You suddenly appeared in front of me in this hell. The day that I would get to meet you...I always wanted to apologize to you...I only endured because of that! I kept on living.” _

 

“Hehehe” You found yourself giggling as you spotted the yellow monster mouthing along with the words. Her shining eyes were so close to the screen that you swore you could see reflections. You crumpled the bag on purpose to get her attention and waggled your eyebrows. Grinning, she turned to you. She seemed relieved as you to see you lighten up a bit.

 

~Is there any reason that the main character has to be naked the whole time?~

 

It took her a second to follow your signs, but a delayed mock-offended huff signaled her finished translation. You dodged a pillow flung your way that used to be in a death grip between her arms and her squat body. 

 

“Oh hush you! It’s… plot relevant!” She sputtered. You noticed she stuttered less when she was talking about things she cared about. Still, she returned to sit beside you on the couch. 

 

“F-feeling better?” She asked nervously. You nodded. You were, in fact, feeling a lot better and would even go so far as to say you were enjoying yourself. Not to mention enjoying the crisps that you were shoving into your cheeks at an alarming rate. Papyrus was amazing at pasta dishes but damn you had missed the sweet and salty goodness of junk food. 

 

Signing back with flavor dust coated fingers, you reassured her that you were having a good time. 

 

~It’s just… a lot you know? I’m worried. I think I messed up - what if they hate me now?~ A flash of dim recollection sparked in the small monsters eyes. 

 

“I-I know what you mean. B-believe me. But l-look, you h-have friends now that w-will be there to support you, n-no matter what!” The ferocity in which she spoke had you wondering if this was a pep talk she had given herself once or twice or many times. You didn’t dare quash her fire by mentioning that besides her, Sans and Papyrus  _ were _ the only ones that you considered friends in this new monster ruled world. The humans from Blue’s party came to mind, but you supposed you ruined any chance of  _ that _ after the huge commotion with Sans attacking Kevin’s sibling and knocking over the couch and-

 

You could feel yourself spiraling again and forced yourself out of it. The episode ran on, and a naked blood soaked girl killed another handful of people. The both of you were unfazed; after all, the whole series had been similar up until now. The representational box of “friendship pocky” was passed over and you partook. 

 

Alphys was right. Papyrus didn’t hate you. Sans would be fine. A small yellow monster was sitting next to you on the couch sharing japanese candy and binging anime. She had even called herself one of your “friends”. If you looked at the big picture, things didn’t seem so dim. It was with a lighter heart that you scooted closer to Alphys and committed to treating this less like a prison sentence and more like a sleepover.

 

The night wore on into the early hours of the morning, and your tiredness was making you silly. You both had migrated to the floor episodes ago; a mass of blankets and pillows squished into a nest just big enough for you two to squish into. Alphys had her warm thick tail wrapped around your waist and you had your arm draped over her shoulder. She had this way of making you feel supported and calm, a natural empathy that washed over the room. She wasn’t just saying things to comfort you. She  _ understood, _ and right now, that was all you needed. You threw another gummy worm at her and she gulped it down, slurping it exaggeratedly. A peal of laughter almost covered up the death cries of the antagonist. 

 

~Alphy?~

 

“Yes Kitkat?” You had devolved into nicknames ages ago.

 

~Can we do this more often? Like, not just when something horrible happens and Papyrus kicks me out?~ It was hard to portray humor through signs, but her eyes found your face and saw the smile there. 

 

“W-we must! I have so many anime that you need to watch, and you need to tell me what ones you’ve already seen!” You were already thinking of the ones she would like. “Not only that-” she continued, “but getting to know you is  _ crucial _ to my ongoing fanfiction of you an-”

 

The room paused. The episode did not. A pen was driven through a man’s heart and he died violently.

 

“I-I mean, Y-you see, uHHHHH!??” The scales above her nose turned a vibrant red. You stared at her incredulously. Her tail started thumping self consciously.

 

~Are you… are you writing erotic fanfiction about me and SANS Alphys??~ You did a couple more exaggerated question signs as you willed your face to stay flesh colored.

 

“It’s n-not erotic!!! In f-fact it’s more of a slow burn. Y-you know, it’s more romantic that way. Not to mention Sans w-would be too lazy to ever make a m-move and the t-tension m-makes f-for a g-great s-story and-” Her stutter made her almost unintelligible and she clapped her clawed hands over her mouth. By now your eyes were dinner plates and your cheeks burned. Your only friend - a filthy shipper. 

 

You also hoped with every fibre of your being that this wasn’t online somewhere. What if your old friends saw it?! God, you’ve never been more happy that you refused to tell them your real name. 

 

She probably wouldn’t have even changed it.

 

Another pillow, carefully aimed, downed your newest enemy. This time both of your laughter drowned out the anime carnage.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“*stop it! please stop! i don’t want to see this!”

 

Knee deep in the snow, Sans could only watch helplessly as Papyrus stood before the human child in the snow, arms outstretched in a welcoming gesture.

 

He knew what would happen next. It was the same every time. No matter how loudly he screamed out for his brother; no matter how many attacks he threw at the small form of the approaching child, covered in a dusty residue from head to toe. His words fell on deaf ears, and his bones phased right on through - useless - nothing more than a ghost in his own thoughts. He could hear the smack of the thick wooden branch against Papyrus’ neck; the soft thud as his skull buried itself into the deep snowbank. 

 

On instinct, he tried to rush forward, but his leg caught in the deep snow and he tripped, floundering onto all fours and staying there. Sobs wracked his body and his tears dyed the snow even as he smiled so widely it hurt. 

 

“*please… anything else.”

 

…. _ “As you wish”. _

 

Suddenly the ground beneath him was no longer cold and soft, but rather hard and gleaming. Stars, no. A lingering tear dripped onto polished golden tile. No. NonoNONONO not here! He shivered, body struggling to adjust the abrupt change in temperature and the painful drop in his soul as he realized exactly where he was. The judgement hall stood before him in all it’s glory, as perfect and maintained as it had looked for centuries. Ornate columns rose on his either side and stood tall and proud in a line down the room. He couldn’t see it, but at his back he knew rest the door to the throne room, and past that, the barrier. He felt as nauseous and dizzy as if he had been yanked through the void unexpectedly.  His dreams had never been  _ this _ vivid before. 

 

“ _ What are you waiting for?” _

 

They had never spoken to him either. His skull whipped up to the sound, a tortured sound rending itself from his mouth as he saw exactly who he feared he would. 

 

Their purple and blue sweater was barely recognizable under all of the dust. It sat in thick layers on every inch of skin and greyed their brown hair to dull gritty locks. In contrast, the dagger that gleamed in their hands was shining and clean, as was the gold heart shaped locket that hung around their neck. It seemed to pulse with a foreboding aura. 

 

Their red eyes glinted, pale lips hiking into a mocking grin that seemed unnatural on the child’s face. 

 

“ _ Hey Smiley, I’m talking to you!” _

 

They were the only two in the hall, but Sans’ first instinct was still to survey the room looking for who the human was talking to. No one ever talked to him in his dreams. It was always the same three or four circumstances, where he would be an onlooker as the child in front of him wreaked havoc on his friends and family. 

 

“*frisk! why are you doing this?” He yelled, desperate for an answer for his recurring nightmares. It made no sense. Frisk had always been kind, and happy in the short time he’d known them. Despite all that, every night he was plagued with visions of his friend doing unspeakable things. Of himself doing even more unspeakable things in an attempt to stop them. 

 

“ _ Frisk isn’t here. It’s just you, and me. Burning in our own little hell - isn’t that what you always say?”  _

 

As if prompted, he felt his arm raise of his own accord. He might be in control of his thoughts and voice this time around, but it seemed that his body was taking him through the motions as usual. A row of sharpened femurs materialized from the air around him and went rocketing towards their target. Most missed, but with a sickening squelch, one embedded itself deep into their shoulder. Sans felt sick. Even sicker, he could feel a part deep inside of him revel in the damage done to his opponent. 

 

“*frisk!” He tried again in vain. “*i know you’re in there somewhere pal! can you hear me?” Maybe this time… maybe he could reach them? Already this was different than his usual night terrors, so just maybe...

 

_ “Keep calling for them. It’s amusing. I can feel them inside me you know. They are saying not to hurt you.”  _ They laughed, a childlike giggle that didn’t match their expression. One that he’d heard many times in response to his jokes.  _ “Even though you’ve killed them so many times.” _

 

A small dusty hand easily grabbed the white spear sticking out of their muscle and wrenched it free. They didn’t even flinch as a stream of blood followed and spattered down their clothes and onto the ground. The sight triggered something in himself, and he felt his eye burn with vengeful magic. A hulking shape took form behind him, a large animalistic skull that hovered a couple feet above the ground. The air buzzed with magic as it charged up its core and prepared to shoot. He was going to kill them. They had killed everyone, and if he let them pass, would go on to destroy the surface as well. He had to do this. For his people. For his brother.

 

“* why do i keep having these nightmares?! none of this even happened!” His furious screams were almost drowned out by the hum of the building lasers, which threw the room into silhouette. 

 

“* frisk would never hurt anyone!”

 

The light grew.

 

And grew.

 

And swallowed them both.

 

_ “Wrong.” _

 

His eyes snapped open, but he wasn’t awake. 

 

It felt like he was in the Void, but he wasn’t cold. He wasn’t warm either. He just… was. The hall was gone, in it’s place an unending darkness that spread endlessly in all directions. Sans was drawn to the only two specks of color in the wasteland. Two figures, standing a short distance apart from each other. 

 

He recognized one of them and almost collapsed in relief. Sans approached the small child huddled up on the floor, head buried in their arms. They glanced up as he drew near and their eyes were the same liquid brown he remembered them; their face wet with tears. His shoulders sagged. Thank stars.

 

“* kid. i’m so glad to see you.”

 

They jumped to their feet and hugged him tightly. His soul thumped painfully. He could feel the pressure, but there was no heat. He couldn’t feel the hum of their soul or the emotion he presumed they were broadcasting at him. He was still dreaming, obviously. He had been so happy to see his old friend, safe and alive and gentle, that he had almost forgotten everything else. 

 

“* i knew you’d never hurt anyone buddy. i don’t know why i keep getting these dreams.”

 

_ “Why do you keep saying that?”  _ He turned to see the owner of the voice, a second child who had come forward enough without him noticing to form a loose circle with their three bodies. They wore a green and yellow sweater, and their brown hair drifted past their shoulders in a way not unlike Frisk’s. But where Frisk’s skin was sun-kissed and tan, theirs was pasty and pale.  Their irises shone blood red - the eyes he’d looked into as they mercilessly killed his brother in his dreams, and then tried to kill him. 

 

His voice a barely contained hiss, he responded. “* keep saying what?” Keep it together Sans. They’re just dreams. 

 

_ “That none of this is real, of course.”  _ They raised a brow inquisitively.  _ “Or do you truly not know?” _

 

He was getting really tired of all of this cryptic shit. “* stupid brat. are you a dull pencil, ‘cause you sure don’t have a  _ point _ !?”

 

Anger contorted their face for a moment, but they forced it back into something more neutral. That infuriating smile was still on their face, as if they were keeping a secret that he wasn’t privy to. Delicate fingers toyed with their locket, before clicking it open. A bright light burst from within, and Sans had to squint at first before he could tell what had come out of it. 

 

Floating a couple inches above its concave surface was a tiny yellow star. It seemed to vibrate with energy, and Sans felt drawn to it. 

 

_ “Do you know what this is?”  _ They asked.

 

It felt… important, but no, he didn’t know. He grumbled as much. 

 

_ “Frisk can tell you, can’t you?” _ They both looked down at the child, who was looking at the light reverently, but with a hint of shame. He looked down at their hands, still clenched in his coat, for their response, but instead heard their unspoken words echo in the space around them. 

 

“... It’s a save star. I saw them in several places in the Underground. If you touch it, it lets you “load” the game back to that point if you die. It only works if you’re determined enough though.” 

 

Were they talking about… time travel? Warping reality and creating divergent timelines that operated out of time and space? He felt the gears begin grinding in his skull, but he still couldn’t figure out the connection between this reality-breaking point of light and his bad dreams. 

 

The pale child was more than happy to connect the dots for him.  _ “Your dreams aren’t dreams Sans. They’re  _ **_memories._ ** _ Fragments of thought that clung on through emotion between timelines.” _

 

That… that couldn’t be right. Sans was sent reeling, pushing free from Frisk and taking a few unsteady steps back. The lights in his sockets flicked back and forth as the short skeleton wracked his brain. 

 

There was no way all of that could have actually happened. No one but him remembered a thing. They were lying - they had to be.

 

But even as he tried to convince himself otherwise, things began clicking into place. That before had been perplexing but unexplainable no matter his research. He’d lost days of sleep trying to pinpoint the cause of the phenomenon when it had begun. The feelings of lost time. His recurring bouts of deja vu when talking to Papyrus or Grillby or the other residents of Snowdin. His reaction to Frisk when he’d first seen them come through the door to the ruins. Like he had just seen a ghost. Someone that for a moment, chilled him so deeply through his soul that he’d instantly pulled them into a “Fight”.

 

Frisk was taking timid steps away from Sans as they saw him come to the new reality that all of his worst nightmares had actually happened. They knew that eventually, he would also realize the part they had played in it all. When dim eyelights finally met their gaze again, smile almost gone from his face, they shuddered. 

 

“* so you…” Sans laughed, bowing his head so his expression was hidden. “* no. it was all them. you wouldn’t - not papyrus-” Frisk averted their eyes and the other child smiled hungrily.

 

_ “Oh wouldn’t they? I didn’t start anything. I merely latched onto their determination and tried to help them to finish what they started.” _

 

The guilty look on the small kids face spoke volumes. They had treated his life as some sort of sick  _ game _ , and he had suffered for it. Sans did what he did best when faced with something he feared would break him. He shoved it down deep deep in the center of his soul and hid it behind a thick impenetrable wall. When he looked at the two children again, his lazy grin was back on his face, albeit forced. 

 

“* why…” His voice broke and he hid it behind a throatless cough. “* why would you only show up and tell me this now? ” 

  
  
  


_ “Isn’t it obvious? The longer you repress them, the more dangerous you get. You’re like a ticking time bomb! Who knows who you’ll “accidentally” hurt next?”  _ Their eyes glinted and the heart at their clavicle pulsed. 

 

“Stop it Chara!” Frisk gave them an upset look before taking a cautious step towards Sans. “I didn’t want anyone else to get hurt because I was too scared to do something. Especially someone important to you.”

 

Sans felt his cheeks flush hotly. “*how do you guys know about all that?” At the same time, he felt a chilling sensation creep up his spine at the thought of potentially hurting you in one of his rages. Like he had almost done last night. 

 

_ “You really are an idiot. We’re not really us. Your memory just chose these forms because they were important to you. The seeds that started this garden of recollections. A fragment of a memory taken from the fragment of a memory. ”  _ Chara scoffed.  _ “So of course we know everything. We know that you almost killed your Soul Mate yesterday thinking she was me, and we know that you wouldn’t have even hesitated in making the killing blow, and -” _

 

_ “ _ Chara!” Frisk saw how thin his composure already was, and how it was cracking under the humans’ blows. Sans closed his eyes for a moment, trying to compose himself. He would never forgive himself if he hurt you.

 

“* what do I do from here?” He wasn’t sure who he directed the question to. It was Chara who answered.

 

_ “You face your fears. Don’t let them consume you. It’s all you can do. Hopefully you manage to control them before they control you. Before you do something you might regret.” _

 

They closed their locket, and the light from the tiny save star was snuffed out, leaving them once again in the endless black. He could see them beginning to fade, the colors seeping from their skin and clothes and the lines that defined them becoming blurred. Frisk followed shortly, giving him an encouraging smile and a thumbs up before disappearing.

 

In seconds, he was alone in the dark. For how long he remained, he couldn’t tell. So he did the only thing he could and sat down on the inky floor that looked the same as the walls and the ceiling. He sat, and he remembered. 

 

He remembered it all.

 

_ “Tick Tock Sans. The clock is ticking.” _

  
  



	27. Jack and Jill Went Up The Hill

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I survived the Black Weekend Consumer Hell. Sorry the update is late this week, but I made up for it with a super long chapter (for me anyway) - almost 4k words!
> 
> All I wanted to do the last few days is work retail and sleep. T^T
> 
> If you want to bug me/ talk to me/ peruse gallons of skeleton memes and pics, check out my tumblr - http://sinsational-sinnabon.tumblr.com
> 
> In unrelated news - today is my birthday! A whole new year for sinning and writing skeleton fics! Woohoo!

Your eyelids were heavy, and you struggled to focus on the colorful images flashing in front of your face. The warm scaly lump that you were snuggled up against had been softly snoring for a while now. For someone covered in hard bumps, she was proving to be rather comfortable. The two of you had ended up bundled up together in your blanket and pillow pile, surrounded by empty snack bags. Elfin Lied was on its final few episodes, but you just couldn’t keep your eyes open. Giving up on finishing it tonight, you shifted and stretched. Alphys didn’t budge as you got to your feet. Grabbing the worn canvas bag off of the couch, you went to find the restroom. The clothes you had on were comfortable, but not the best to sleep in. Besides, you’ve needed to pee for like two episodes now.

 

As you closed the bathroom door as quietly as you could behind you, you took a second to appreciate the fact that the monsters had moved into human dwellings, with functioning toilets. From what you could tell living with the brothers, they just… didn’t need them. Must be some magic thing, you thought, taking care of business. The doctor's bathroom was just as anime infested as the rest of the house. The curtains were peppered with cartoon shiba inu puppies and cherry blossoms, and the toilet cover (you found when you closed it) was outfitted with a fluffy rabbit cover. How had you ever been intimidated by this monster? She was a total nerd. Setting the bag down on the lid and kneeling in front of it, you rummaged through to find some suitable sleepwear. You’d packed in such a hurry, you had no idea what was inside. Papyrus had paced outside of your room the entire time, switching between tending to Sans and keeping an unnecessary eye on you. You’d ended up just grabbing handfuls of things from your drawers in an effort to not incise the tall skeleton further. A few pairs of leggings, a couple dresses, and several changes of socks made their way onto the pink carpeted tile before you touched something smashed into the very corner of the bag. You fished out the balled up object and held it up. It was a navy blue T-shirt. A very wrinkled one at that, with a faded band logo screen printed on the front. You guessed that it was one of Sans’, forgotten forever in the bottom of his bag which sat in the back of his closet. 

 

Of course you put it on. It was big on you, the hem drooping well past your thighs, but being surrounded by the smell of what you now thought of as home made you feel much better. You did a little dance as you forced your legs into a pair of leggings, not wanting to sleep pantsless in a strange house, even if it was Alphys’s. By habit, your hands went to your neck to remove your collar. You paused. Normally, you wouldn’t sleep in it, as it pressed uncomfortably against the mattress and left weird red marks on your skin when you woke, but something told you that you’d rather have it on for tonight. 

 

Stuffing the rest of the clothes back into the bag, you made to stand - intending to return to your sleep pile - when a sudden knock on the door broke the relative silence of the night. You jumped; breath catching momentarily in shock. It was far too early for anyone to be here. It must be almost 3am by now! Your muscles screamed as you forced yourself to stay in your half risen position. There was another knock, a bit harder. A muffled voice called through the doorway but you were all the way across the house. Who could it possibly be?

 

Sans!

 

It had to be him! He must have woken up and realized that you were gone by now. Obviously he had come right over to get you, right?! A wide grin split your face and the center of your chest buzzed with a pleasant warmth. He may be lazy, but for something like this you were sure he would come straightaway. It was with new haste that you finished packing your bag and slinging the strap over your shoulder.

 

You were so invested with the thought of going home, you didn’t even notice the metallic scrape of a key as it jimmied in the lock, or the creak of the front door as it opened to let someone in. The sound of the bathroom handle turning masked the faint curse as the visitor stubbed their toe on something in the dark. 

 

So when you burst into the hallway and saw the tall imposing figure in the living room that was decidedly Not Sans, you froze. 

 

Likewise, the monster that had entered was also still. A single catlike eye was fixed on you, glowing a threatening yellow. It was hard to tell in the blue cast of the darkened house, but you were pretty sure their skin was blue as well. They were toned and stood with a catlike confidence, staring you down like prey. 

 

A low drawn out growl was your only warning before you were blinded by brilliant teal light. You stumbled to the side, just as you felt a hot electric breeze whiz by you with millimeters to spare. A loud CRASH sounded from behind you, sounding way too much like breaking plaster and splintering wood. You blinked rapidly, trying to dispel the white spots in your vision. Your shoulder hit the wall bruisingly in your path away from the beam of light.

 

“ALPHYS! WAKE UP!” You heard what you assumed was the new monsters voice screeching at your friend. Not that she needed waking of course; the giant magic spear crunching through what used to be her bedroom had done a perfectly good job at that. The short yellow monster jumped at least three feet in the air before falling to the floor in an ungainly lump, scrambling to see what the ruckus was about.

 

“U-undyne???!!” She quailed, shoving her glasses crookedly on her face, “Wh-What are y-you d-d-doing!?” 

 

You just barely dodged another spear (your vision had cleared just enough to see the projectile coming at you was in fact, a terrifying magic javelin) tossing yourself hard at the floor. The taste of iron flooded your mouth as your lip split on contact. You tried to call out to your friend, but all you could manage was a fearful confused wail. Why were you being attacked!?

 

As Alphys put the pieces together, she jumped into action, rushing to the monster who must be “Undyne” and trying valiantly to hold her back. Her stumpy arms just reached around the woman’s waist. Your eyes finally cleared and gave you a decent look at your intruder, which you instantly wished you could take back. She towered over your crumpled form on the floor, seemingly made of solid muscle and anger. You made out quivering fish-like fins on either side of her rage contorted face, and flame red hair that flowed down her back. It moved eerily in response to the static of her magic that filled the room and raised the small hairs on your skin. While she seemed just as violent as before, having Alphys latched to her at least temporarily stopped the barrage of arrows at your person. 

 

She struggled against her hold as the reptilian used all of her strength to hold on, stammering and trying to get out a cohesive sentence. It seemed like your friend knew this aquatic monster, but in her efforts to attack you, she just wasn’t listening. Incensed with purpose, her only goal was to free her pinned arms and turn you into human shish kabob. 

 

“S-st-stop at-t-t-ack-ing!” The small monster cried. Undyne was nonplussed. 

 

“Alphys, get out of my way! One of those  _ humans _ snuck into your lab. It could have killed you!” She argued, prying an arm free and tossing a poorly aimed spear in your direction. It sizzled and burned as it sank deep into the floor. Goodbye carpet. “Let. Me. Destroy. It!”

 

Alphys started to say something back, but you didn’t stick around to hear it. Behind Undyne, lit up for just a second by her last spear, was the door. And it was wide open. Taking advantage of the distraction, you pushed yourself up and lunged past the struggling pair. 

 

“HEY! COME BACK HERE!” / “N-no! Please d-don’t!”

 

You heard them shout out behind you, but you could barely understand them over the blood rushing in your ears. There was a hot flash against your arm that you were certain would hurt like hell in a second, but the arrow missed its target and buried itself in the grass outside. 

 

In seconds, their voices were fading and Alphys’ house had disappeared around a corner. Heart pounding and head spinning, you ran. You had no idea where you were going, but anywhere was better than  _ that!  _ Houses and shops flashed by as you set a weaving course through town, just in case you were being pursued. You had to get away. One foot in front of the other. 

 

You ran until your breath was ragged and your muscles burned, but you pushed on. Just a little further. 

 

A 

 

Couple

 

More

 

Steps

 

And 

 

You’d

 

be

 

 

* * *

 

 

SAFE!

 

His breath tore its way from his mouth in jagged huffs as he shot up in bed, drenched in sweat and shivering violently.

 

He was safe. They were on the surface. Papyrus was alive, and so was everyone else, and the horrors he’d witnessed were all just a bad dream.

 

‘no.’ Sans wiped the sweat from his skull with a corner of his covers, which he noticed were already damp. They weren’t just dreams, if he was to believe what Frisk and the other child had told him. Could he? Believe them, that is? Now that he was awake, and things didn’t feel so tangible, so real, it was hard to take their warning to heart. 

 

As if in response, his eye gave a last, halfhearted pulse of yellow. It lit up the room, reminding him of the bright star that Chara had been keeping in their locket. The one that his Frisk had looked at with such familiarity. As much as he didn’t want to acknowledge it, he knew deep in his soul that the kid was telling the truth. Unlike his dreams before, that drifted and faded away as he pulled himself from sleep, this one stayed fresh in his mind. He could still feel the chill of Snowdin and smell the metallic tang of blood that permeated the judgement hall. Not only that, but pieces of other dreams - no, memories- were proving easier to recall. Conversations, interactions, that never could have happened this time around. He tried to start sorting through the hundreds, no thousands of fragmented memories, but there was just so many. Sans felt like he would go insane if he tried to make sense of it all.

 

The sound of heavy boots rushing up the stairs jostled him out of his thoughts. His brother almost ran into his room, gloved hand gripping onto the doorway as his knobby knees trembled, preventing him from collapsing to the floor. The tall skeleton looked horrible. There were dark rings under his sockets that rivaled Sans’, and he was still dressed in the clothes he had left the house in earlier. They were disheveled, and stained, and very un-Papyrus like in general. 

 

A broken sob was all Papyrus could get out before he stumbled the rest of the way across the messy room and buried the shorter skeleton in a bone-crushing hug. Sans could tell that he was gross, and sweaty, but his normally neurotic brother didn’t seem to care, burying his skull in his collarbone and sobbing. 

 

How long had he been out? He felt sore and exhausted, like he’d just run a marathon while continuously expanding magic. He’d just slept for Asgore knows how long, but he was just. So. Tired.  His own skull fell into his brother’s sternum, accepting the embrace and the comfort it offered. Stars knows he needed it after what he’d just learned. That somewhere out there, in a different timeline, there were versions of him that had to deal with life without the grounding presence of his brother. How had he done it? 

 

Even though his sockets were already wet with tears, and his cheeks marked with blue streaks of magic, he felt a few more sneak past to re-wet the dried lines. His arm came up to pull Papyrus closer, fingers clenched tightly in the fabric of his trademark scarf, and they stayed like that for a while, taking comfort in the fact that the other was alive and well. 

 

Eventually, Sans let out a shaky laugh and let his grip loosen. His brother took the hint and sat up, scraping his radius against his face to wipe away tears bashfully. Neither wanted to break the fragile silence, heavy with emotion and relief; but it was Sans who finally took the leap, voice gravelly and rough.

 

“* sorry i worried you paps.”

 

This sent his brother into a fresh round of tears as words tumbled from his mouth in a barely understandable mess. “Brother, I thought - I was scared - you would - I didn’t know when you would wake up! What if you Fell Down?” He wiped his face with his scarf this time. “I don’t know what I would do without you.” Papyrus sniffled. 

 

Guilt gnawed at his ribcage.  “* you don’t have to worry ‘bout that. i’m okay. i just… had a little nap is all.” Sans tried to console his younger brother, but his voice was unconvincing. 

 

Another sniffle. “You’re lying brother, but I forgive you.” Larger hands took his smaller ones in their grasp. “You know, it’s alright to not be “fine” all the time Sans. You’re allowed to hurt. I’m scared sometimes, and I know you are too.” His gloved thumbs traced soothing circles on the backs of his carpals.

 

“You were out for about a day this time. Your magic was going haywire the whole time. You were tossing and turning; crying and pleading to - somebody.” Papyrus said quietly. The hand motions stopped. “When you have those nightmares brother… who are you talking to? What do you see?”

 

Sans gently but firmly pulled his hands free from his brothers grip, eyelights dim and focused on the wrinkled blankets between them. 

 

“* it doesn’t matter now paps. trust me when i say some things are better off unknown. besides… this time was different. it’s over now.” 

 

Bones stiff, he untangled himself from the spiderweb of covers and got out of bed. For a second, Sans worried that he’d used so much magic that his legs wouldn’t support him, but they did. He knew he should stay in bed, but he wanted to check on you. Papyrus was safe, but he had to make sure his  _ whole _ family was okay. 

 

Especially since you’d likely seen the whole thing go down. He didn’t really remember too much after he’d pushed the kid down, but he knew that you were at the party too so you must have seen. ‘* i hope i didn’t make too big an idiot of myself.’

 

Something felt… off. The house was too dark- too quiet. He could see the time blinking on the microwave display:

 

12:07 AM.

 

He forced his shaky legs to take him to the top of the stairs, where he could see most of the house. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed your door was slightly ajar. You weren’t inside. 

 

Neither were you anywhere he could see downstairs. The bathroom door was also open and dark, as was the kitchen. Paranoia settled low in space between his ribs and pelvis, filling him with a steadily growing sense of dread. 

 

He turned back to see that his brother was standing awkwardly in his doorway, body curled in on itself just slightly; a defensive position. He felt his brow furrow and his body grow taut. 

 

“* papyrus?” In his name was the unspoken question, and the way his brother tensed his jaw and shifted his sockets (which he always did when he lied) gave him all the answer he needed. You weren’t here.

 

Worry growing, he felt his breathing get faster. His eyelights shrank as he scanned the house again. Again. Now it was only too obvious that the constant hum he had come to know as your soul was missing, creating the deadening silence he’d noticed minutes earlier. 

 

“* papyrus?!” Sans pressed, voice slightly strangled. “* where is she?”

 

He wracked his skull, trying to create an image from the black fuzz that was most of last night. There was no way they would leave the party without you; even if Sans was unconscious he knew he could trust Papyrus with making sure you came home with them. 

 

So where? -

 

“I’m sorry Sans. I was only doing what I thought was best for you.” His brother interjected timidly. 

 

‘*  _ what?! _ ’ His skull shot around to meet his gaze, shock clear on his face. He recognized that look now. It was guilt. 

 

“*  _ what. _ did you  _ do _ ?” Sans seethed, the dread low in his stomach set alight with rage.

 

The camaraderie from before dissipated, replaced with a icy static aura that filled the few feet between them like a monstrous presence. Even as his bones ached from magic overuse, he felt his eye spring to life, blue flames flickering and licking the side of his skull. He could see the tall skeleton take a step back. Sans had never directed his magic at him before. Not like this. If Papyrus was being truthful, his older brothers raw power had always scared him, since he had witnessed it in action during the first rush on the surface. He’d always assumed he was safe, and that he would never even think about using it against him. Sans had always appeared to have complete control over it.

 

“H-having a human around was always a risk for you brother. Ever s-since the first t-time y-you reacted. It was just t-too d-d-dangerous to have her around wh-” Papyrus was having trouble speaking through his chattering teeth.

 

He felt the fingers on his right hand flexing, itching to transform his swirling emotions into attacks. “*  _ fuck _ the risk! where is she!? If you hurt her i swear in asgore’s name i will… i will…”

 

Sans knew he was being irrational; that he needed to calm down- but the hollowing feeling of loss was still fresh in his mind. You couldn’t be  _ gone _ . He refused to think that he had lost you because of his  _ stupid _ reaction. That his own brother might have - 

 

“I sent her away!” 

 

His magic died on his fingertips, eyes blinking out momentarily. 

 

“* what?” 

 

Papyrus peered out from behind his raised arms. In this state, he couldn’t tell whether Sans was calm or extremely,  _ extremely _ angry. He proceeded with caution, assuming the latter. He could feel his own rarely used anger growing in response to his brother’s unreasonable reaction to what was an extremely reasonable action taken by himself. He was only doing what was best for their family of two, even if it caused Sans to be angry at him. 

 

“Ever since she got here, you’ve been sneaking out to “secret” meetings, and events - places with so many humans around. You think I didn’t know? I am a high ranking member of the King’s Guard; there is not much that goes on outside my notice. You know that you have these sorts of attacks, and the only clue we have is that you are set off by certain humans. She was putting you at risk!” 

 

His brother hadn’t moved a metaphorical muscle. Papyrus lowered his arms further.

 

“So in your best interest, I sent her away. She is perfectly alright; she is just not… here.” He finished petulantly, emphasizing your not “here-ness” with a wide swept hand gesture.

 

Pupils blinked back to life, but they were still small and dim. His anger drained away, leaving him frustrated, and guilty, and helpless, and tired.

 

He was so very tired.

 

Meaning to step over to Papyrus, his legs gave out halfway and he landed heavily on his knees in the middle of the hallway. His brother met him halfway, supporting his upper body in his arms and letting his weight rest against him. 

 

“* we have to go get her. she probably thinks i abandoned her.” Sans mumbled, sockets struggling to stay open. “* she needs me.”

 

“Shhhh. You’ve used too much magic.” Papyrus took off his scarf and wrapped it around Sans’ neck, giving his head something soft to rest against. He was quiet for a long minute, considering his words. 

 

“What about  _ you _ brother?” Papyrus inquired, staring off sadly into space.

 

“Why can’t you think about what  _ you _ need? Is this human really so important to you?” 

 

Sans searched himself. Was he being foolish, putting you before the wishes of his only family? And you… maybe you’d be safer if you weren’t around him. Frisk said that if he couldn’t take control of his memories, he might lash out again. What if next time… His soul gave a painful pang at the thought.

 

He shook his head tiredly, skull rustling his brothers shirt. He wouldn’t let there be a next time. Being here in this house, without the hum of your soul and the presence of your daily life - it just wasn’t enough anymore.

 

“* i need her too paps.” His eyes were closing.

 

The younger brother let out a long sigh. He could do what he thought was right… or he could give in, and do what he knew would make Sans happy. Gathering the small skeleton in his arms, he walked down the hallway and pushed the door to your bedroom further open. With a deft flick of his wrist, and some juggling of skeleton, he pulled back the covers and tucked Sans in. Immediately, the shorter monster buried his face into your pillow, seeking out your scent. 

 

You made his brother happy. Risk or no risk, Papyrus had never seen Sans happier than when he was around you. 

 

He sat on the edge of the bed and regarded the other skeleton, who was vainly trying to resist sleep even as his breathing was growing slower. Barely there lights peered at him hopefully from the side of his sockets.

 

“Fine… but not until tomorrow morning. She’s with Alphys, so there’s no way anything can happen to her until then." Papyrus relented, a kind hand resting on his brothers shoulder through the covers. "You need to replenish your magic.” 

 

Worries assuaged, Sans nodded a weak agreement and dropped into a deep dreamless sleep. Likewise exhausted from two consecutive sleepless nights, Papyrus left to collapse into his racecar bed, still fully dressed.

 

Your pillow and covers still smelled so much like you. He could almost imagine you were back here with him. You were safe with Alphys, he reassured himself. It was just for a few more hours. 

 

Then he would go and get you and beg you to forgive him.

  
  
Then you could come  _ home. _


	28. Pussycat, Pussycat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaand I'm back! I hope you guys enjoy the chapter I have for you today! As usual, come chat me up on my tumblr - http://sinsational-sinnabon.tumblr.com
> 
> With the Holiday month in full swing, this skeleton is very busy with retail and a couple other projects! 
> 
> Not sure if any of you followed me from my first SOUL fic, "A Done Deal", but I will be doing a christmas drabble for that. I am thinking of doing a christmas drabble for Kitten as well. ;) Would any of you like that?
> 
> It's for a special UT collection that RavenZaphara is putting together! Check it out if you write for UT as well and want to participate, or just want a lot of new content to discover! http://archiveofourown.org/collections/Undertale_Holiday_2016_Fic_Collection_Challenge/profile#faq
> 
> As usual, I love you guys so much! You keep me going!

It was unclear how long you ran for before you finally stopped, huffing for breath and clammy with sweat. You listened carefully for any sign of you being pursued, resting heavy shaky hands on bent knees. The night was silent save for the chirping of crickets and a slight breeze rustling the leaves on the trees. Something wet and warm dripped onto your hand, and on instinct you brought your fingers to your cheek. A thin line marred the skin from your jawline to your temple, white hot with pain now that it had been noticed. As if given permission to speak, the rest of you began clamoring their own complaints. A skinned, carpet burned knee muttered distantly, and the overworked muscles in your legs screeched in assent as your heart griped about working overtime.

 

Pushing your injuries to the bottom of your priority list, you straightened up to take a look around. You had left the lines of cozy homes and warmly lit sidewalks far behind. A jumble of shorter, more utilitarian buildings surrounded where you stood in the middle of the deserted street. Soft light from the street lights left hazy circles every few feet, and gave you a good enough look at the buildings to read some of the names. Shops, restaurants, pubs - all renamed and redesigned in monster image. Runes were painted across brick, some casting a faint glow that made the whole area seem otherworldly. The realist side of you knew that none of this was new, and had likely been here for years before the monster take over. Unfortunately, it was an area that you hadn’t had a chance to explore in all your years living here. The shops, the streets, everything was unfamiliar to you.

 

‘Well shit,’ you thought to yourself. ‘That was a disaster. Who was that fish monster anyway, and why would she have a key to Alphys’ house? Why had she come by at that time of night? Questions on questions, that you fully intended to get answers for later, but for now it just spelled out that the doctor's house was no longer safe for you. Once again, it was just you and the brothers against a town full of people who hated who - no, what - you were.

 

You picked up a pair of voices drawing nearer, one low and gravely and the other a bit more quiet and subdued. With a rush, you reminded yourself that it was waaay past the law mandated curfew and humans like yourself should be inside. Your eyes flitted about, trying to find a place to hide from the quickly approaching monsters. You cursed silently. It was just your luck that the only monsters up at 3 freakin am would come down this particular street. 

 

Or maybe… you paused, touching the metal tag on your collar; maybe they were members of the monster police. You thought back to your first trip out with the short skeleton, back when you’d gotten your collar at Muffets’. Sans had said if they ever caught you, that your collar would tell them who you belonged to, like a dog tag. The police may scold you, but eventually they would take you back to the brothers house, right? For a second, your heart jumped for joy at the possibility of going home, and your feet drifted in their direction. 

 

A long shadow broke the lights around a corner and you faltered. 

 

No. No you couldn’t do that. 

 

Papyrus had said Sans needed time to get better. Time away from humans. You couldn’t show up at their doorstep like this, in the middle of the night, and make things worse for them. And what if they got punished for your running away, even if it was a life or death matter? They might find out about you and Sans; somehow. A stretch, but you weren’t being the most sensical right now.

 

They rounded the corner, a ragtag pair of felines dressed in sloppy, casual suits. One was a dark brindle, the color of dark chocolate and caramel contrasting with his navy jacket. The other, some kind of grey tabby, was outfitted in a darker charcoal ensemble. It was something out of a Miyazaki novel, with their long tails swishing back in forth in tandem from the backsides of their tailored pants. Shiny shoes clicked along the concrete in a discordant rhythm as their owners stumbled and slurred jovially. In seconds, they would turn and see you. You had to move. 

 

“Hey! Over there, near the pub. Do ya think?-” Their thin ears flicked in your direction. You’d been spotted!

 

There! An alley, set in between a couple shops. It looked dirty and foreboding, but you vaulted toward it without a second thought. As you slipped between the brick and out of the light, you thought you could just hear a sound of confusion from one of the cats; quickly brushed off as post midnight mania. That or they had been drinking a little bit too much. You stood just out of sight, hoping that neither would think enough of it to come investigate. It could barely be called an alley; it was more like a space of necessity between the two shops, for undesirable cables and trash cans to be hidden away from public view. In such a small space, your breathing sounded way too loud, and every scuff your bruised up feet made against the asphalt may as well been a beacon to your hiding place.

 

Closer, and closer they ambled, conversation still lighthearted, but curious. Not wanting to be too close to the edge, you took a couple slow, cautious steps back further into the pathway. For a moment, the rotting smell of garbage was covered with a sweet, cloying scent. Something thick and smooth slithered around your ankle; something that seemed alive. You felt a violent shiver of disgust wrack your body. A snake? No, snakes didn’t wrap their tails around things. Then?! Unable to help it, you let out a surprised and frightened squeak, shaking your leg and trying to pull free. Your ass hit the street - hard. You could have sworn you felt whatever it was yank you back, tripping you on purpose. As quickly as it appeared, you felt the coil’s weight let up and slip back into the darkness, further into the back street. 

 

“Look what we have here?” Highly sensitive ears picking up your alarm, the feline monsters now stood blocking the front of the alley. They were definitely drunk, leaning on each other for support. Needlelike teeth gleamed, and tails and whiskers twitched excitedly. Their luminescent eyes reminded you way too much of Undyne’s, and their predatory grins didn’t do anything to ease your discomfort.

 

“It looks like a little human!” Relayed the other to his friend, slurring. He jabbed him in the side with his elbow conspiratorially. “I knew I heard something back there! ‘Nd you said I just had one too many shots of gin!”

 

You had only bad feelings about this. 

 

“Well what should we do with it?” One of them, the brindle, broke the invisible wall of protection you had been depending on, stepping into the alley. It was just wide enough for the two of them to stand shoulder to shoulder without the rough bricks scraping their fur.  

 

The other monster seemed to think for a moment on this. “Well, the boss wouldn’t be happy if he knew there was an escaped human around his part of town. We should really turn it in.” When his friend wrinkled his nose in distaste, you couldn’t help but think just how much he resembled your old housecat, Freckles, who had been long lost in the siege. 

 

“Ta who? Boss or the Cops? Maybe it’s got a reward on it?... or better yet… a ransom?” This seemed to really catch the interest of the tabby. Slitted eyes studied you, obviously looking for identification. Quick as a whip, a clawed paw caught your shirt and pulled you to your feet. You were dragged close as they spotted your collar. They both touched and poked and prodded, their needle like points terrifyingly close to your neck. 

 

“‘ Their tag says they belong to some “Sans” guy. What a stupid name.” He scoffed, and the movement jostled you enough to feel the slice of a claw against your weak skin. You whimpered. If you died like this, would anyone even ever find you? Or would you be left to rot in some alley, an assumed runaway? 

 

“Shit.” Fur bristled and the monster not holding you flattened his ears against his head. “I think I heard o’ that guy. Doesn’t his brother work for the king or some shit?”

 

For the second time in half an hour, you found yourself back on your ass. You were sure that was going to bruise. The pair seemed to be having some sort of disagreement. They were still blocking your way, but their attention was no longer on you. They looked like a couple of tom cats fighting over prey, tails stiff and bushy and teeth bared. Bits and pieces of their argument made their way through to your ears.

 

“- might be worth somethin’”

 

“- ot worth the risk. Ya don’t mess with the King.”

 

“- No one’s even seen the guy in a year. Hides ‘imself away in that damn warehouse, like a  _ coward. _ I’m not ‘fraid of him!”

 

The cat on the right bristled and puffed himself up with pride, but it wasn’t enough to keep his buddy from giving him a sound whack over the head with a sheathed paw.

 

“Well I am. Let’s just take ‘er and let the boss figure it out.” He finalized, eyes flitting over to you in resolve. His partner relented, turning to you as well. Shit, this wasn’t good. Scratching your feet and palms up more, you frantically scooted further into the alley and away from the monsters. Clumsily, you scrambled to your feet and tried to run, pushing your already screaming muscles past their limit in an effort to escape. The small jagged pieces of asphalt were snakebites against your feet, but you pressed on,  looking back at the two every few steps until you rounded a corner in the alley. They had noticed you flee, and they were  _ not _ happy. Like their animal lookalikes, they were very quick on their feet, and gaining fast. You had a head start though, and it looked like you might just make it to the other end of the alley, and they couldn’t possibly kidnap you out in the open, right?? Probably not, but that was the only thing prompting you forward.

 

It was during one of your looks back that you failed to notice a third figure standing in the middle of the alley, unaware of your frantic approach. They stood beside a metal door, open just enough for a thin crack of light to break the black expanse of the wall. With a thud, you ran straight into them, knocking you both to the ground. 

 

“What the- OOmph!” And down they went.

 

“The hell? Watch where you’re goin will ya?” A savory voice sounded from below you. You tried to get to your feet and keep going, but a firm grip around your wrist stopped you. A grip with five warm, fleshy,  _ human _ fingers. 

 

“Hey. What’s wrong? You look like you’re being chased by a demon or somethin’” You finally got a good view at the person you’d knocked over. It was hard to see in the barely lit path, but you could just make out a wide shouldered, human shaped form in the dark. Their skin tone helped them almost disappear against the bricks, not helped by their seemingly dark outfit. Just as dusky eyes took you in, from your bloodied face to your torn clothes. The guy, well, you thought it might be a guy, began to brush off the dirt from your shoulders and back with rough pats. 

 

He hesitated a second near your collar, pinching the metal disk between his thumb and index, but let it fall back against your collarbone without a word. 

 

You looked up to see what his reaction was, but he wasn’t looking at you. His eyes were focused behind you, lips pursed in a barely there frown evident on his features. Gaze trained on what you were sure was your pursuers, he bent over slightly to murmur against your ear.

 

“Perhaps I wasn’t so far off the mark, huh lass?” You felt his hand shift around your wrist as he stepped in front of you.

 

“What’s the problem fellas? Got nothin’ better to do than bother a couple of workers out on a smoke break?” His stance was wide and assertive, but it seemed to have no effect on the two cats. 

 

“That human there, it belongs to us. Hand it over and we won’t have to cause trouble.” The one on the right threatened, claws flexing.

 

You were pushed behind him further, just barely peering out from behind his back. The monsters certainly looked like they could and would make good on that threat. But the stranger wasn’t backing down either. 

 

“This girl? Nah, she’s one of our crew. Just stepped out for a bit of fresh air. We were just about to head in.” His chin jutted out, daring them to argue. The cat on the left, whom wanted to ransom you off earlier, jabbed his paw in the direction of your neck.

 

“Bull shit! explain why its collar has it belonging to a monster named “Sans” then? Ob’viously a runaway!” 

 

This was it. Your one chance at rescue had just doomed you. There was no way a couple of humans could fight back against two monsters with the natural possession of tooth and claw and night vision. 

 

“Ye, Sans is my boss’s name. Now let the poor lass be and take your sorry tails back to the pub you slinked out from.” The strange human finalized calmly. His heavy arm rested protectively around your shoulders. The cats hesitated for a minute, not willing to give up on their prize, but eventually seemed to come to the conclusion that you weren’t worth the trouble. Spitting curses in your direction, they indeed seemed to “slink” back along the alley before slipping out of sight. 

 

He waited a few seconds to make sure they weren’t hanging around behind the corner before letting his arm drop. If your heart wasn’t pounding in yet another life or death situation, you might have been slightly put off from such familiar contact from a total stranger. But this guy saved your life, so you supposed he got a free pass. Giving yourself a few feet of distance, you readjusted your ripped clothes self consciously. 

 

“So.. uh.” Now that the risk was passed, your savior seemed a little less sure of himself. You supposed it might be because you hadn’t said a single word since you’d tripped over him, and certainly none yet in thanks.

 

“Takin’ a wild guess at thinkin’ those folks weren’t any friends of yours?” You hoped he could see enough in the night to tell that you shook your head. By his hum, it seemed he had.

 

“Not really the talkative type, are ya? What are ya? Some type of runaway? Got away from this “Sans” guy or somethin’?” You could tell that he was trying to act casual, but he couldn’t keep all of his curiosity out of his voice. You shook your head again, firmly. You almost started to sign, but thought better of it. He wouldn’t understand anyway. 

 

“Was that a no to the first or to the second thing? You know no one can hear us out here now that those thugs are gone.” Well, that was easy enough anyway. You made a “V” with your fingers for the number 2. It was clear the stranger didn’t appreciate your silent act. He grumbled and fixed his uniform - which turned out to be a black apron worn over black pants and a button up. 

 

“Well… ya welcome. If you aren’t a runaway, you must have somewhere ta get back to, so I won’t keep you.” He turned back to the door set into the side wall, but not quick enough to miss the third shake of your head, frantic and wide eyed. You didn’t want to be out here on your own for one more minute. Not with monsters like those guys around. And technically, you really didn’t have anywhere to go. 

 

You couldn’t go back to Alphys’ place, that was for sure. Besides the holes in her walls and furniture, there was also a chance that that murderous fish monster could come back. Wandering off again seemed just as dangerous. There were at least three monsters after you, and you were slightly wary of the rope like thing that had tripped you in the first place. You certainly couldn’t bring all of this trouble back to the brothers either. Papyrus had more than enough to worry about already. You’d lived out on the streets for a bit before, so you were confident that you could take care of yourself for a while longer. 

 

“No? Did… you want to come in? The boss has so many workers I don’t think he’d notice if you joined. It’s a pretty rough gig, but there’s food, and shelter, and protection at least.” He opened the door a little more, and a heavenly smell drifted out; spiced meat and the scent of sweet fresh bread. “What about it, little ghost? Need a place to haunt?”

 

You knew, without a doubt, that you could survive a couple of days on your own… but a place to hide might be nice. Just for a couple days. 

 

Reaching out, you took your new friend's hand; stepping into the doorway and what lay beyond.

 


	29. Mary Mary Quite Contrary

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I owe you guys a huge apology for the long ass wait for this chapter. Between drawing and making gifts, writing a christmas short for my other fic, working holiday hours for my job, and visiting friends for the holidays - I just couldn't get this chapter out! 
> 
> Now that the holidays are over though, and hours at work are getting cut back, I anticipate more time to dedicate to Sans and our dear Kitten and her adventures. What will become of her at this new establishment? Will Sans find Kitten before anything sinister finds her first? 
> 
> Will Papyrus ever get his shower?
> 
> Follow me at http://sinsational-sinnabon.tumblr.com/ for Sans, other UT content, my art, and fic updates! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

No one woke up earlier than Papyrus. He enjoyed the still, fresh air of the morning, and especially loved watching the sun come up behind the looming shadow of Mt. Ebbot, lighting up their town. In fact, he usually got up early enough that he was able to clean the entire house before he even had to get ready for work. 

 

So when he cracked open his eyes at 6am to see a short, stocky (extraordinarily lazy) skeleton hovering over him, he was surprised enough to let slip a couple words that Sans didn’t even know he knew. Stretching achy bones, he sat up and let the covers pool around his spine. 

 

“It’s 6 in the morning Sans. What in Asgore’s name are you doing up?” Papyrus asked, the grogginess of waking making him forget the night before for a few sweet seconds. Then his brother’s static smile wavered the tiniest bit and it all came rushing back. The worry. The fight. The  _ guilt. _ Sans looked better than he did yesterday, but there was still deep shadows under his sockets and an overall air of exhaustion surrounding him.

 

“* we gotta get over to alphys’ place paps. it wasn’t easy, but i managed to get a few hours of sleep like you said. I feel much better, i swear.” Sans pleaded, anxious to leave. “* so can we go?” Now that Papyrus was fully awake, he even noticed that Sans had already showered and dressed. 

 

Giving his brother a tired smile and a nod, he pulled the stained tank top off and rose to browse his closet. What he really desired was a shower, but surely that could wait until after they retrieved the human. He hid a grimace as he put a clean shirt over grimy bones. As he turned around, Sans wordlessly held out the scarf that he’d been put to bed in the night before. It’s rightful owner slung it around his neck.

 

“I guess we’re ready.” Papyrus said while descending the stairs. Somehow, Sans was in front of him once again, defying routine. He wouldn’t call his brother’s attitude “happy”; more like his brother was filled with impatient anxiousness. Which was a pretty apt description for how Sans was feeling.

 

He’d gotten hardly any sleep beyond the first three hours of deep dreamless sleep that had overcome him once his head hit the pillow. The clock read about 3:30 am when he woke for good, sneaking downstairs to shower and get dressed. He was still tired, but there was no way he’d be able to get any decent sleep while you weren’t home. Papyrus had said you were with Alphys, but that didn’t do much to calm him. He regarded his old lab partner fondly, but there was no denying that she was timid, and when it came down to it, he doubted that she could do much to protect you if the need had arisen. 

 

If it were up to him, they would’ve teleported the short distance there, but his brother was firm on the “no magic” front - at least for a couple days. So they walked the short distance in relative silence. Sans nervously so, and Papyrus just unsure of what to say that would fix this situation that he’d caused. Nothing could fix it - he argued - besides getting the human back. So that’s what they were going to do.

 

Sans thought the closer they got to the reptile monster’s house, the better he would feel. He could feel his soul reaching out; trying to catch any faint trace of your soul - but he couldn’t feel anything. That was… strange. Human souls weren’t meant to act as any sort of homing beacon, and normally couldn’t be sensed at this distance; but  _ your _ soul… Sans had found himself keen to it. Even as they turned the corner to head down her street, the bright hum was eerily absent. 

 

This was the first sign that something was horribly amiss.

 

Chara’s words echoed in the back of his mind. 

  
  


Tick.

 

Tock.

 

Tick.

 

Tock.

 

The clock is ticking.

  
  


He knew they hadn’t been referring to this;  _ couldn’t _ have been referring to this- but all the same the words left a bitter taste in his mouth and a growing sense of dread. 

 

Papyrus was the first to spot the thick black plume of smoke rising from behind the buildings, and was ashamed to admit that his first instinct was to not point them out. Sans’ gaze had been fixed on the sidewalk the whole way here, lost in thought, and they weren’t yet close enough to smell it on the breeze. It was likely nowhere near the doctor’s residence, he reasoned. So with a small tug on his brother’s sleeve, he gestured at the sky.

 

Sans’ steps faltered to a stop. For a moment, his feet were one with the sidewalk; he couldn’t move an inch even if he desired. His mind took a second longer to catch up, but when the pieces fell into place, he felt his soul drop into his stomach.

 

“* that’s where alphys lives.” Sans worked out breathlessly. 

 

Papyrus flinched inside. His brother sounded positive of that. ‘ _ Shit _ ’

 

Magic in the air. Metallic. Heavy.

 

“ _ Sans! _ No!”

 

His soul wrenched painfully as it tried to lend magic it didn’t possess. Teleporting, usually second nature to him, was for the time far beyond the reach of his magical capabilities. The little sleep he’d gotten had only been enough for his Soul to power his body, and even then left him weak and breathless. 

 

The feeling dissipated, and with a glare back at his brother, Sans took off at a full sprint. He didn’t even know his stocky brother could run that fast. In any other circumstance, he would’ve teased him about it, like any brother would. Now though, was not a great time. Papyrus ran after him.

 

With all of his guard training, he had pretty much caught up as they reached the building that served as Alphy’s lab. Sans had been right. The place was in shambles. Thick tar like smoke was belching from a hole in the roof, and the lawn was littered with brick and debris. Burn marks marred everything from walls to trees to the sidewalk. The front door was hanging limply by it’s hinges. As if that wasn’t bad enough, two figures stood in the front yard, having run out at the brothers appearance. 

 

One had every right to be there; the yellow lizard who owned and operated what used to be the Lab looking disheveled and  _ very _ distressed. She looked very out of place among the rubble in her anime themed pajamas, complete with kitty ear slippers. The other, standing in the yard like she hadn’t a care in the world, had Sans’ magic buzzing loud enough that he could barely hear what Alphys was trying (and failing) to explain in badly broken sentences. The early morning sunlight made the aquatic monster gleam, her scales like a sparkling lake and her hair a flash of fire above it, swept into a quick ponytail. While the house was destroyed, she looked untouched. 

 

As his brother’s best friend and training partner, he’d never liked Undyne. She was loud, and brash, and overly aggressive. As a boss, she was way too strict. And as leader of the royal guard, she had made quite a few choices that didn’t align with his moral compass. And his own needle pointed none too straight. Needless to say, if it wasn’t personal enough before, it sure was now. 

 

He stormed up to the pair breathing heavily and flushed with rage; Papyrus flailing uselessly behind him, confused and upset. As he got closer, Alphys squeaked and ducked behind the muscular woman. Papyrus, with only a view of the short skeletons’ back, could only imagine how terrifying he looked at the moment. 

 

“U-Undyne!” Sputtered Papyrus, an uneasy grin plastered on his face. He was none too subtly trying to diffuse the explosively tense atmosphere that sat like a ticking time bomb in the center of the group “Fancy seeing you here at -”

 

“* cut the shit. what happened here?” Sans interrupted, voice seething. He stood mere inches from Undyne, facing her down readily. What the slight skeleton lacked in height and solid muscle, he made up for in sheer determination. Not one to turn down any challenge, the sinewy monster pushed out her chest and looked down at him with a badly repressed sneer. 

 

“Pest control.” She spat, the fins on the sides of her head spread tauntingly.

 

It was a good thing Papyrus had thought to grab Sans when he did; or his best friend might have met her end right then and there. Held back by Papyrus, he lunged threateningly and growled low and deep; a rabid hellhound after it’s prey. Despite his weakened magic, he found reserves somewhere; drawing it far past his limits in anticipation of a FIGHT. Only a few select people knew of Sans’ magical potential, so it was all flash and poise to the guard captain. She laughed harder in response.

 

It was Alphys who attempted to answer, her usual canary scales flushed with red. Her tail swished back and forth nervously and her hands quaked. 

 

“S-s-sans p-please i’m-m s-s-so s-sorry!” 

 

His eye, a flickering blue and yellow flame that overtook his socket, zeroed in on his friend. Sweat poured down the sides of his skull in exertion as he hid the way his legs trembled. She cowered more, but forced the words out.

 

“I-i f-forgot t-that I gave Undyne t-th-the k-key t-to my l-lab and s-s-he w-was co-coming over t-to return s-some m-m-movies I le-lent her.” 

 

“You have nothing to apologize for Alphys.” Consoled Undyne, all of a sudden concerned and caring. “If shorty here wanted to keep a better eye on his human, he would have kept it at his place.”

 

Alphys sighed exasperatedly. This was obviously a conversation they’d already had earlier.

 

“T-that doesn’t m-mean y-you had any r-right to chase h-her out like y-you did. S-she was s-staying over a-as a f-favor!” 

 

Sans tried to take deep breaths. If he didn't get control of his magic, he wouldn't be surprised if his body gave out on him again. He couldn't let that happen. He was no use to Kitten if he was stuck in bed again, and judging by the state of the lab, there wasn't much time to waste.  He used Papyrus’ hands on his shoulders to ground himself. He wanted to destroy Undyne, without a doubt, but he knew Alphys would never do something like this on purpose, and his anger was misplaced.

 

‘* calm down.’

 

Breathe in.

 

‘* hear them out.’

 

Breathe out.

 

‘* kitten may not be here, but that means she’s not dead here either.’

 

Breathe in.

 

‘* undyne.. undyne is…. an asshole. but she’s paps friend so i can’t exactly kill her.’

 

Breathe out.

 

Okay.

 

He closed his sockets and opened them to reveal his normal lights. The rush of magic was draining, and he felt his knees buckle slightly, held up by Papyrus. Once he felt stable enough to stand on his own, he shrugged his brother off. 

 

“* i’m… i’m fine now paps.” He reassured. The younger brother hovered anyway, just out of reach. He obviously didn’t trust his sibling not to go off again if they got even more bad news. The last couple days had left Sans with a pretty bad track record in the self control department.

 

“* now alphys, what happened after that? where’s kitten? is she hurt?” He tried to keep his tone even, but even he couldn’t stop a quick glare at Undyne at his last inquiry. Although Alphys hadn’t inherently  _ said  _ that Undyne had been the one to cause all the damage, there was really no question where the burn marks all over the house and yard came from. Sans found himself wondering if you sported similar burns across your soft fragile skin. Were you in pain? Did you need healing? He waited as patiently as he could as his friend tried to get out understandable sentences. It took effort. Now that he knew you weren’t here, he would rather be out looking for you than getting useless apologies and explanations. 

 

Over the next few minutes, Alphys and Undyne filled the brothers in on what had transpired in the early morning hours. The overly contrite Alphys explained how Undyne had thought you had snuck into the lab, and were a threat to the snoozing doctor. Sans could tell she glossed over a lot of the details when telling how her friend had attacked you and eventually caused you to flee into the night. He wasn’t sure if he was relieved or more angry of that fact. Every so often, Undyne would chime in, usually with dismissals of guilt and arguments that Alphys wasn’t responsible for “Sans’ Human”. Bit by bit, the brothers were able to put together a decent understanding of what happened. 

 

On the bright side, you had likely escaped serious injury. Sans felt his soul swell with pride at the thought of you facing down Undyne and escaping. On the…. much dimmer side, neither monster had any idea where you could have gone, and they had looked for hours after your escape. For all her self-proclaimed talents, Undyne was a shit tracker, and Alphys’ sense of smell was about as good as her vision without her thick glasses. By the time they started their pursuit, your legs had carried you far from the lab. 

 

The gears were turning in his skull, sifting through what he knew about you and where you might go in a panic, when the clink of metal interrupted him. 

 

“Look,” Started the Guard Captain, drawing out a leather pouch from around her waist, “Your chances of finding her in this big town before someone snaps her up are slim.”

 

His eyelights left the scorched tuft of grass he was pondering into and met Undyne’s eye. Literally, as she only had one. His grin was static on his face, jaw tight. 

 

Undeterred or just ignorant, Undyne started counting out coins into her webbed hands. “I’m sorry I lost your human, I guess. Just tell me how much you paid for it and I’ll cover it in full. Captains honor.”

 

The point of bone that jutted out above Sans nasal cavity scrunched in distaste. He wanted nothing more than to slap the pile of coins now proffered out of her slimy hand and into the grass. Of course she wouldn’t understand that you weren't more than just "some human". How could she? Undyne had always hated humans more than anybody. She'd lost her parents to the war that sent them all underground, and had even lost her eye to one of the first fallen. To her, humans were exactly what they seemed: a violent race bent on causing as much hurt as possible to her kind. Sans couldn’t blame her for not being able to understand things in the same way he could. 

 

A fragment of memory flashed by. Ever since he’d woken up from his vision, he kept getting bits and pieces of past dreams- no - timelines. This time he saw Frisk, dirty and scratched up, offer a glass of water to a collapsed Undyne in Hotland. He’d been pretending to sleep at his sentry stand in an effort to distract the Captain enough for Frisk to escape. But the kid had noticed their assailant’s suffering, and returned to help. The imagery faded, leaving Sans staring at the hardened and angry monster in front of him. This Undyne had never gotten the chance to know that Frisk; to know humans could be kind and compassionate and merciful. 

 

So respectfully, as much as a part of him wanted to tell her exactly where to stick her next spear, he shook his head and refused the gold. She looked at first surprised, then confused, then even a bit angry.

 

“What’s wrong with you?” She asked bewilderedly. “You were so mad at me for chasing off your human, but now you won’t even accept compensation? I’m trying to… what’s that human idiom that Alphys told me - extend the apple branch or some shit like that.” 

 

“O-olive branch.” The reptile corrected gently. She turned to Sans and tried her best to meet his eye, although the effort colored her face yet again and caused her tail to twitch. “P-please don’t b-be too upset w-with Undyne. S-she really is t-trying. She j-just doesn’t k-know h-how important Kitten w-was t-to-”

 

“* i know alph. don't worry about it. thank you for taking care of her while i was… sick.” 

 

It was slightly unnerving, Papyrus thought. Only a few minutes ago, his brother looked ready to kill at a moment’s notice. Now he looked relaxed and worry free, his casual smile and lidded eyes trained on the monsters in front of him. He hated to ruin the moment of apparent peace, but he was concerned about the sudden switch.

 

“Sans?” He said, placing a tentative hand back on his brother’s shoulder. “You seem… strangely okay with all of this. Are you really alright with just getting another Human? I know you really enjoyed the previous human’s company, and back at the house- you said-” Papyrus trailed off, not wanting to say too much in front of Undyne. Sans’ smaller hand found his way to the top of his brother’s, resting casually.

 

“* of course we aren’t getting another human bro. I could never replace kitten, and i don’t plan to.”

 

Papyrus flushed in embarrassment. How careless of him to assume that his brother would ever want -

 

“* because i’m going to  _ find _ her, and bring her back. no matter what it takes.”

 

Inwardly, Papyrus sighed. It looked like his shower would once again have to wait. 


	30. ?????, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm scared to look at how long it's been since I've last posted. *sweats* 
> 
> I apologize for the long wait, and what could count as a semi hiatus I suppose. Everything has just been coming to a head and I've been so busy. I got a new boyfriend in January, A freelance job in February, A convention that I've been prepping for in April, and I'm planning to move to Virginia in July! On top of 35 hours a week at retail. None of these are excuses of course, but just thought I'd give all of you some insight into what I've been swamped with.
> 
> I have this story outlined until the end, and by Asgores name I will finish it. I realize this chapter is very short, but it's all I could finish before work. I figured that a slightly shorter update was better than you guys waiting another few days with no update. 
> 
> After my convention is over (April 9th) my load will be a lot lighter. But I plan to get out at least one or two regular sized chapters between now and then!
> 
> Cheers!

After being in the dark alley for some time, it took a moment for your eyes to adjust to the bright white light of the room your rescuer had led you into. You heard the metal door clank shut behind you, and instantly the astringent smell of dish soap, layered lightly over a rich layer of food attacked your senses. Even as the room came into focus, you could already tell you were in a kitchen. Your hand gripped his tightly. There were so many people! And not only that - they were all human! 

 

Age or gender or race didn’t seem to be an issue. Everyone had a place and a job to do. Adults in their middle age were washing dishes, while people around your age were prepping food and fixing plates. If you blocked out the outside world, you could even regain some sense of normalcy. No monsters, no magic. Just people like you.

 

But that wasn’t the case. Looking closer, it was evident that these humans weren’t normal paid employees. Their clothes hung off them or fit slightly too tightly, ripped at the elbows and knees. All of them had a small metal earring that dangled and glistened in the harsh kitchen lighting. You weren’t close enough to look, but it was pretty obvious that this was another form of identification. For servants. The man at your side coughed and gently but insistently worked his hand out of yours. 

 

“Well, this is it. It’s not much, but for a lot of us it’s the best we’re gonna get in this situation. As you can see, the boss has a lot of workers. Can’t remember our faces even he’s got so many.” He chuckled, flashing brilliant white teeth. “That’s made this place excellent for escapees or anyone wanting to hide.” 

 

Turning to face you, you finally got a good look at your new friend. He towered at least half a foot over you, and made you feel kind of puny with how broad chested he was built. His hair sat in tight short curls over his scalp, just long enough to hang over his forehead. His skin was a rich brown, and almost seemed to match his eyes, which sparkled as if he was continuosly hiding an inside joke. They seemed tired, but that seemed to be a fate no one could escape these days. 

 

With nothing to hold onto, and in such an unfamiliar place, your hands jammed themselves self consciously into your armpits. There was a long moment of silence as he took you in as well. A flush rose to your face under his intense gaze. 

 

“Look, little ghost. I don’t know your story, and I’m not gonna ask it either. Everyone in here has some screwed up shit in their past; hard not to with all these demons walkin the surface and treatin us as they do. But all o’ us are kind of like a family. We gotta stick together any way we can. That’s why I stuck up for ya against those cats.”

 

His eyes had turned stony as he met your gaze for a long moment.

 

“But that kind of trust, I’m puttin all of us in a lot of danger. That collar isn’t a normal sort of trinket, and as roughed up as you are, you look well fed and cared for. What I’m sayin is - you better not put any of us in danger ya hear? We’re really stickin our necks out for ya here.”

 

By now, a few more of the workers had noticed a new face in their midst and come over to check you out. You curled in under all the attention, but tried your best to smile and seem friendly. Curious hands sought out your collar and it took a lot of will not to flinch away. They didn’t seem to want to hurt or take it; they just seemed curious. They also asked a lot of questions; they obviously didn’t share the same respect of privacy that your savior did. Many you didn’t, or couldn’t answer. Some; yes or no questions, you at least tried to. 

 

“Are you staying with us for a while?” ~Yes~

 

“Are you a runaway?” ~Yes~

 

“Were you attacked?” (Gently touching and tending to your cuts and scrapes) ~Yes~

 

“Do you hate monsters?” (A long pause) ~....No~

 

The pressing crowd around you abated at that, their many eyes burning with curiosity. You saw mouths open, presumably with a brand new barrage of questions. 

 

A click, and like cockroaches, the workers scattered to all corners of the kitchen; picking up pots and spoons and resuming their tasks. A heavy hand gripped your shoulder, now familiar. A voice whispered hastily in your ear before he too ran off to attend to work.

 

“The name’s Garret. If you need anything, just come find me- or ask any of the workers here. You’re in good hands with  _ us _ .”

 

For some reason, his last sentence held a bit of foreboding that you didn’t much like.

 

The being that entered the kitchen seemed humanoid, at first, but you instantly recognized the buzz of magic of a monster- even before you could see them. Two legs, slightly too long to be natural, entered the room. They bent at strange angles to support elongated feet, tipped with claws. This caused their torso to hunch slightly; they carried themselves like a sort of werewolf, fingertips scraping the ground every so often. That was where any similarity to humanity stopped. Their shoulders sloped up to where a neck should reasonably be; but instead ended in a flat plane. Floating above that point, and casting an eerie light, was a hexagonal diamond. Each of its faces flashed a different color, and it spun lazily in the still and fragrant air. 

 

Every time you’d thought you’d seen the most of what monster kind had to offer…

 

Their voice emanated from everywhere and nowhere at once. 

 

“ _I heard quite the commotion in here, slaves. You’d better be working. This place should be spotless before our early rush gets here._ ” 

 

A young man, carrying a bag of sugar was unlucky enough to wander too close to the hulking being, and with a swipe of a large hand, was sent toppling.

 

“ _Be careful slave!_ ” The monster snapped, all faces flashing an affronted red for a moment.

 

Then, and you had no idea just how - they spotted you. Their head spun quickly, and stopped. Somehow you knew the side facing you was aware. With a low questioning hum, they ambled over. You tried to quell the shiver that traveled through your body as they got close, large and glowing and a little too alien for your human rationality to comprehend. This must be the boss. Suddenly you were regretting your choice to use this place as a safe haven. How safe could you be - with a creature like this?

 

“ _Hmmmm~_ ” It’s voice hovered like electricity in the air, in a form you recognized as pure magical energy. “And who might you be? I do not recognize you…”

 

You opened your mouth to try and speak, but nothing would come out. You were caught. Doomed. 

 

“That’s a girl from the batch you got last week boss. Don’t you remember?” One of the dishwashers - a human you didn’t even recognize from earlier - spoke up. There’s no way that would work.

 

The kitchen was cast in a confused purple glow as all of their faces blinked and spun lazily, thinking, thinking. 

 

“ _Right… Right, I recall now. One of our new waitresses. You look a sight. Our kitchen staff can look like human garbage, but the lucky ones picked to serve must represent me. Shower immediately and be ready for the morning shift._ “

 

Flat planes returned to a rainbow of colors, and the boss ambled out of the back room, shutting the door behind him with a bang. You didn’t think that was intentional - their hand was easily three times the size of the doorknob. 

 

You let out a long breath you weren’t even aware you were holding. While you were safe for now, you were starting to feel much like a lobster slowly boiling to death in heating water. Falsely comfortable, and unaware of the danger looming just out of sight. But it was better than being outside in the fire, and if it kept you alive until Sans came for you (and you were sure he would) then so be it.

 

Rubber banding your own claws, you pried yourself from your corner and went to find the shower.

 

You had a job to to.

 

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Kill Him with Kindness (Alternate Timeline Oneshot)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9943940) by [Psychography](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Psychography/pseuds/Psychography)




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